Balance
by Xander867
Summary: The true Sith have been eradicated from the galaxy millennia ago save one. One Sith, against all odds, finds himself in a strange, new galaxy and makes an unlikely ally, Ahsoka Tano. Together they will bring balance to the Force, one way or another.
1. Impact

**Let me first point out that this story is, in essence, a rewrite of my other story "The Secrets Inside of Me". I felt that the idea shouldn't go to waste and so I created a seperate story that had a smoother flow to it and better plot formation. It is similiar to the aforementioned but is still a different tale.  
>Hope you enjoy,<br>**

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><p><strong><em>Impact<em>**

Blue light flanked the viewports of the Republic cruiser _Resolute_ with shards of white passing by them at speeds faster than the light. The proud ship has seen many battles and is expected to go through many more. It fought at Sullust when Separatist dreadnaughts tried to destroy the planet, it broke the once impenetrable blockade of Ryloth and it even saw the destruction of the super weapon _Malevolence. _Most of the ships success can be credited to its valiant clone crew and the headstrong general who led them.

General Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight and commander of the now legendary vessel, observed his crew as they work hastily on the command bridge of his cruiser. He took note on the feelings he was receiving from them through the Force. They were anxious but only in the slightest for they were all bred with nerves of durasteel and wills of Mandolorian Iron. But still, no amount of conditioning could block out all sense of fear, especially when you're going to the one place in the galaxy everyone tries to avoid.

"Master," A strong and now mature feminine voice said from his side. "Why do I sense you're just as jumpy as the rest of the boys?"

Anakin smirked as he just noticed the not-so-young girl approach him. He had been so deep in thought that he his own padawan managed to sneak up on him and get a whiff of what he was feeling.

"Not so much," He replied. "But I guess you could say I'd rather jump into a sarlacc pit than go to where we're headed."

The padawan smirked, spreading the tips of her cheeks so far that they nearly touched the lekku hanging from her head. "The bravest knight in the Order is actually scared?" She rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Next thing you know the universe will implode."

He regarded her and gave her a soft but earnest look that spoke volumes. "Trust me snips, this place is not something to joke about."

The Togrutan padawan got the message and couldn't help but wonder if her master had a history with the upcoming planet. He was arguable the strongest Jedi in terms of raw power and swordsmanship and has never shied from a fight. She was proud to be his apprentice and ever since they met on Christosis in the middle of a battle, it's been one adventure after another with the two of them constantly getting into situations that always ended with a couple rounds of _aggressive negotiations_. Despite all they've been through she couldn't recall one instance where her master felt unease.

"Ahsoka," Her master spoke again. "I need a favor from you."

"Anything master," She said without having to think.

"When we drop in-system, I want you to stay on the ship."

The words didn't come to her as clearly as she thought. She could've sworn her master had just told her to sit the fight out and mind the cruiser. The long silence that ensued drove her to the conclusion that he was being serious.

"Master you can't be-"

Anakin's look silenced her. "I know how you feel about this and had we been anywhere else I would've been more than happy to let you fly next to me. But since where here I need to ask otherwise."

Ahsoka shook her head in confusion. "But what makes this battle any different from the other? I've flown with you for the past year and proven myself more times than a Gree can count. Master, you don't need to be so protective all the time. I'm not that kid straight out of the Temple anymore, I'm a Jedi and pilot just likes you."

He breathed inwardly and, for a moment, wished she was that kid again. In the time he's trained her as his padawan in the ways of the Jedi, Ahsoka Tano has grown greatly in both body and mind. He passed on the knowledge he learned from his own master and added his own touch to it. In result, Ahsoka has become much like Anakin which, in a way, was a bad thing. Along with his strength and skill, he also ended up passing on his hardheadedness.

"I know you're more than capable to but that's not why I'm asking you to do this." He shifted his gaze at the corridor of hyperspace before him. "It's where we're going that concerns me. Out of all the places in the galaxy to visit, Korriban is the one planet you want to avoid at all times." Just mentioning the planet brought back memories of the dark red planet. "The place is permeated with the dark side and just going near it will cloud your senses and distract you."

Ahsoka has read about the planet before but only knew the parts that the Jedi permitted younglings to know. It was the planet where the Sith species evolved and formed an empire that nearly conquered the Republic nearly five thousand years ago. The Sith Empire was defeated along with every last warrior. It had been a dark time for the Republic and they feared another Sith Empire would rise, so they exterminated every last one of them. Despite being extinct, the Sith's teachings have been passed on over generations to new sith lords that rose to take the place of the older ones.

"The battle will only be in the space around Korriban right? I don't see how I can be affected from that distance." Ahsoka put in, still trying to sway his master's decision.

The older Jedi shook his head in disagreement. "I once visited the world when I was around your age and it wasn't something I'd like to remember. Even in space you'll feel the effects of the dark side radiating from the planet. The old Sith's impression on their home world still remains and it can be corrupting to an untrained Jedi."

_"Untrained?"_ Ahsoka said, almost offended. "With all due respect master I-"

She stopped again as her master's gaze, now a glare, disarmed her. "I am asking you to stay here Ahsoka. Please don't make me change that to an order and confine you to your quarters."

This was no laughing matter as Ahsoka just realized. She sensed this wasn't him being overprotective, which by itself was a shock. He was truly afraid of her being effected by the dark side.

"Okay master," She said softly, eyes fixed on the ground. "I understand,"

Her footsteps fell silent by the time she left the bridge, probably to find a quiet place to meditate and wait out the battle. Anakin grimaced as he regretted ever bringing her on the mission. If he had left her at the Temple than this bitter disagreement would never have happened. He thought the worst part was over but he had a deep feeling that the problems have only just begun…

The instant the _Resolute_ reverted into real space it had been engaged in cutthroat combat with three Separatist frigates. The _Resolute's _twoescort ships pulled up in front with their turbo lasers blazing with azure fire while the cruiser hanged back and deployed its starfighters. All the while the two enemies fought over the dry, desolate and destroyed world of Korriban.

Clone intelligence had ample evidence that the Separatist were planning to use the system as a staging area for an attack on nearby systems. To prevent this, Anakin and his ships were deployed to intercept the advance forces of the Separatist fleet that was incoming to the system.

Three frigate wasn't much of a threat in Anakin's eyes but still, the fact that they chose Korriban as their staging point disturbed him. Perhaps they wanted to throw off any Republic advance into that sector of space but occupying a key hyperspace lane or maybe they wanted to disturb the Jedi by controlling one of their tabooed worlds. Either way, Anakin wasn't going to let them get what they came for…

The hanger bay of the _Resolute _was vaster than usual which was due to sudden abundance of space. Just about every fighter craft had been launched from the bay at the beginning of the battle, leaving Ahsoka's fighter to stand out as a needle of red against the uniform white.

The Togrutan Jedi leaned against the Jedi starfighter and was more than tempted to jump in it and take off after her master. She had her eyes closed and she was reaching out with the Force to sense what was going on in the battle nearby. Faint explosions came to her as well as the pain and suffering of the clones dying in battle. It was unbearable for her to feel everything from a distance and not be able to do anything for them. She didn't resent her master for his decision but still she couldn't help but wonder what the big fuss about a dead planet was.

Her master may have rebuked her for even considering what she was about to do next but he was out there and she was stuck in here.

Taking her senses away from the battle she focused them on the planet below to get a feel for the dark side energies herself so that she could at least find some justification to her master's verdict. What she sensed was cold, obscure and devoid of light. It made her skin crawl for a second before she got used to the feeling. It was something she didn't enjoy because it was felt like the opposite of everything she and the Jedi Order stood for. And yet it wasn't as bad as her master had made it out to be. Granted she may have felt a disturbance if she got close to the planet but it would've never been enough to distract her from flying. She had been trained to block herself from unwanted Force presences' and that alone would've been enough to let her go about the battle without hinder.

Suddenly, her mind screamed with a vicious howl. She went pale as her legs refused to support her, forcing her to slam an arm on the edge of her fighter to keep herself from falling over. A disturbing feeling had pulsated through her, leaving her in utter confusion.

Her first thought was that the dark side influence was stronger than she had thought but once she took a moment to regain her bearings she soon felt it was something else entirely. It had reached out to her, touching her through the Force but not in an aggressive way. In her brief moment of contact with – whatever it was – she had glimpsed into the near future and saw the very battle unfold before her. It was like she was in space and watching the ships go at each other's throats from only meters away. In this brief glimpse she saw a starfighter trailing smoke and falling towards the planet below. It was impossible to make out color and small detail but what was clear was that the damaged fighter was dagger shaped and had an astromech's head poking out from the center.

She quickly looked at her own starfighter which perfectly fit the analog of the fighter she saw damaged in her vision. Her master flew the same fighter and the vision could very well be of him getting shot down and possible worse.

Now she has all but forgotten her master's orders while she leaped into the cockpit of the fighter and began starting it up. She worked the switches expertly and in merely a minute she was almost ready to fly. In that minute she had thought long and hard about the vision. She of course had her doubts since it was somehow connected to Korriban.

The fighter being shot down could've been hers for all she knew and jumping to save Anakin could result in him trying to save her and thus make him vulnerable to an attack. The last thing she needed was to crash land on an eerie planet with her master worried sick. But then again… _what if it comes true?_

Neither eagerness nor foolhardiness compelled her chose as she concluded that it was either going to be him or her. Anakin was of far greater importance to the Republic. He was one of the closest people to her and she'd gladly sacrifice herself for her if she had to.

With the final flick of a switch, her engines ignited with ion blue embers and her fighter shot out of the open hanger bay shield…

Anakin punched the accelerator to the max and pressed his nimble Delta-7B for more speed. The golden blur of a fighter out maneuvered another pair of Vultures who ended up going too fast to handle and crashing into each other on a tight turn. He would've smirked if the dark energy from below didn't put a damper on things.

So far the battle went in favor of the Republic. One Separatist frigate had been completely destroyed with the other two not going to last much longer. There were still many Vulture droids hanging around the debris of their lost mother ship along with the heavier Tri-fighters protecting what's left of the small flotilla. Anakin's flagship has taken minimal damage but one of his escort ships had been destroyed along with a small amount of clone fighters.

He needed to end this battle soon so he can prevent any further loss of life and get Ahsoka far away from this dreaded place.

Taking his fighter in close for a killing stroke to one of the two remaining Separatist frigates, Anakin danced dangerously close to the ship's hull. The frigates bridge stuck up from the main hull which was just as armored as the rest of the ship. The shields through had gone down a while ago and it only need a direct hit for it to be destroyed.

Pressing his middle finger over the secondary trigger on the control stick, Anakin released a pair of lightning fast proton torpedoes that were capable of punching a hole through the burliest of materials. To Anakin's satisfaction the torps' did their job and blew the bridge clean off the frigate in a cloud of superheated metal. His victory was short lived though.

In the midst of the chaos that ensued after the frigate blew, a Tri-fighter unexpectedly appeared out of a cloud of debris and fired its entire payload of homing missiles nearly point blank at him.

The Force guided his hand as he depended deeply on it to avoid each missile. There were so many of them and they had a solid lock on his engine's ion signature. If it wasn't for the diluting dark side energies he would've had an easier time. But alas that was not the case.

A few missiles detonated harmlessly away as he dodged them but several had exploded close enough to inflict damage. It would only take a single direct hit now to end his fighter and him. He felt the Force binding around him as he called to it to him for greater insight. The missiles were as clear to him as the stars around him and he had a solid read on their location. And yet he kept on getting chipped away and losing power.

In a last ditch effort he tossed his ship into a dangerous loop that would've ended him if his speed did not hold. The missile – now only two left – strayed from their path only by a hair before realigning. The missiles were now closer than ever and his senses screamed at him to get away. There was nothing he could do.

His fighter was struck and it began spiraling away at an awkward angle. Anakin would've thought he had been hit if not for the fact that it didn't feel like an explosion. He managed to keep his eyes open against the g's that pressed him deeply into his seat and examined the ship's readout screen.

Several systems were failing, including power but none of it was caused by an explosion. In fact the missile had not hit him and it only exploded near him. But if that was true then why was he spinning like something solid had crashed into him?

It only took a second for his trusty astromech droid, R2-D2, to stabilize the fighter with the still operable repolsor drives. He looked around to finally realize in horror what had really happened.

Another dagger shaped Delta-7B starfighter had crashed into his own, pushing him away from the missile but ended up taking the missile itself. There was only one other ship like that in his command and he watched in utter shock as it went spiraling out of control and dropping nose first into Korriban's atmosphere with Ahsoka in it.

He wanted to reach out to her with the Force and call to her, tell her to pull up. That would prove useless because she obviously took too much damage to even stabilize. He did it anyways to see if she was still alive. In a brief moment he felt her touch through the Force which told him she was alive, for now.

"Artoo, give me comms, now!" Anakin said to the droid but it buzzed a solemn negative. The communications array was damaged. There was no way for him to call the _Resolute _for help.

A pair of Republic Z-95 Headhunters pulled up on both sides and attached tow cable to his crippled fighter. He wanted desperately to tell them to forget about him and go after Ahsoka. He was somewhat relieved to see a another pair of his clone fighters going after Ahsoka but they were soon followed and chased off by lingering Vultures.

Ahsoka's fighter was now burning up in the atmosphere and glowing red hot. The Jedi Knight had never felt so helpless before in his life. Even when his mother died he at least had to ability to exact vengeance, despite the Jedi Code. But even with all his power he couldn't do a blasted thing to help her. Not so long as he's crippled in space.

Anakin took a deep breath and remembered the Jedi Code.

_There is no emotion, there is peace._

Ahsoka was far more resourceful than most other Jedi her age. If anyone can survive this ordeal it would be her but that doesn't guaranty she will and Skywalker knew that…

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading kind people and I thank you even more for voicing your opinion of the story in the reviews,<br>xander867**

**Oh and I have a very off topic story to share. When initially writing this I incorperated indenting to make the sentences more organized and give it a neater appearal. Well when I uploaded to the site, it removed all of the identing which just threw the whole doc into a mess. I tried to redo it on the site but apparantly FanFiction does not recognize the "Tab" key. Even then I tried to trick it by puting in five or so spaces to make up an indent. Still, when I saved it it removed all the space between the margin and the first word on the line. I've never felt so agrivated about such a minute subject. **

**Don't do what I did and waste an hour trying to trick the site. -_-**


	2. Awakening

_Awakening_

The first thing to come back to her was her hearing and then sight. A loud alarm reverberated in her montrals and a red emergency light flashed as smoke leaked from the control board. Her seat restraints kept her from crashing against anything but her head still felt like it had been smashed through a wall. The cockpit window was scorched black and impossible to see through.

Ahsoka had almost forgotten what happened when the deep, dark feeling sank in and reminded her of what she had done. She had purposely flew her own starfighter into Anakin's and pushed him out of the way so he wouldn't get blasted to pieces. It didn't surprise her at all that she ended up taking the hit from the homing missiles. It all happened just as she saw it in the vision; a daggered shaped fighter plunging into the red planet below.

With eyesight finally focusing and her hearing coming back to her, Ahsoka unbuckled her seat restraints and pulled back on the hatch release. Nothing happened.

Ahsoka bit back annoyance as the hatch wouldn't unfasten. Smoke was smothering her and taking away precious oxygen. She unclipped the shoto lightsaber from her belt and cut the cockpit hatch all around her in a careful manner so she doesn't end up decapitating herself. With a nudge of the Force, the hatch popped off and Ahsoka escaped the burning fighter and finally getting cold, dry air to breathe.

Her body ached with soreness as she moved around. The crash had taken more out of her than she thought. She turned to her fighter to examine the damage. Both ion engines were completely destroyed along with the communications antenna and storage compartment were she kept spare parts. Her astromech was only half damaged as the lower half of its body was still jammed in the socket with the other half being torn away during either the descent or the crash. A long trail of displaced dirt measuring around fifty meters showed the path she carved out when her fighter made contact with the ground.

A twitch of sorrow touched her as she mourned the loss of her astromech. It may not have had the personality quarks as Artoo but it still served her well. She'll miss the little guy.

There was no hope of repairing the demolished fighter, that much was certain to her. During the uncontrolled descent into Korriban's atmosphere she had the idea that she'd be able to "land" with minimal damage and be able to repair whatever did break. But despite all the crash landings she's seen her master pull, she hasn't quite yet mastered the art of smashing a ship into the ground without dying. At least she'd live to learn that little piece of wisdom from Anakin, assuming he could rescue her…

No clone rested today, Jedi General Skywalker made sure of that. The bridge of his carrier, the _Resolute_, was even more hectic than before the battle.

"General, sir," The communications officer called over from his station. "I've got a lock on Commander Tano's comlink."

Anakin rushed over to the station and moved the clone out of the way. He activated the com and impatiently waited for a response.

"Master," The response came through a hail of static but was still clear enough to make out.

"Ahsoka? Ahsoka, are you alright? Where are you?" Anakin fired off question like a repeating blaster cannon. Although the static made it hard to hear words, he could've sworn he heard her sigh.

"I'm just fine master, just a little beaten up from the crash." Anakin grimaced as he imagined his padawan colliding perilously into the planet. "And I think I'm somewhere in the northern hemisphere. I can't give you exact coordinates because my astromech didn't make it."

"Sit tight we'll find you and," He paused to find the right words to use. "Keep yourself calm. The planet has adverse effects anyone Force-sensitive enough to feel it."

A wave of static blocked out Ahsoka's retort but Anakin guessed it had something to do with her will being strong enough to resist the planet's influence. "–and I know that because nothing evil has tried to grab at my mind so far." She finished.

"Just meditate, fold the Force around you and wait for me. I'll come get you myself."

The sound of Ahsoka's huff was audible, whether it was from fatigue or from his orders, he couldn't tell. "Alright Master," She said as he imagined her rolling her eyes. "I'll just sit down on this red dust bowl while you–" The sound went dead. No static, no wavering of voice, just dead.

Anakin scowled and worked furiously to boast the signal strength. Nothing he did worked and it made him think either her comlink was broken or something was interrupting communications. Not a minute after the com went dead did his ship shake from a grueling ripple. Those who weren't seated staggered or fell to the floor and a blaring alarm sounded across the bridge.

Anakin shot to his feet. "Damage report!"

A clone pulled himself back into his station and ran through his computer readouts. "Starboard aft engines damaged and hull breaches in sections one through three–" Another violent shock shook the bridge's crew to their knees. "Communication arrays hit!"

Anakin let out a loud growl of anger. "Raise shields and power up all weapons. Bring us about." He ordered.

The _Resolute_, its right engine leaking blue flames, pivoted on its axis to face whatever was hitting them. Anakin's eyes lit up with both surprise and anger as his vessel faced an ambushing group of Separatist Dreadnaughts, massive two kilometer long ships with more firepower in one of them than the _Resolute_ all together.

"Sir, four dreadnaught class vessels incoming! They've launched fighters!" A clone called out from the crew pit next to him.

The _Resolute_, with Anakin commanding it, could go toe to toe with two of the ships at most. But four would be considered impossible by most levelheaded people. Unfortunately for his enemies, Anakin was far from sensible right now and he was not going to leave Ahsoka behind...

Ahsoka breathing picked up pace as her feet glided her through the narrow passages that snaked throughout a deep canyon. The red rock passed by her in a blur as she moved faster and faster. Occasionally a sharp rock protruding from the walls would leave a cut on her as she brushed by it without slowing down. She knew somewhere, out of the many cuts on her body, she was bleeding lightly but that was hardly a concern at the moment. She'd rather be cut and bloodied than riddled with blaster bolts.

Not too long after she lost contact with Anakin several Separatist landing craft broke through Korriban's atmosphere and deployed troops close to where she had landed. It didn't take much thinking to decipher that they were trying to capture her. After her fighter went down, a report must've gone out to the rest of the droid battle group about a downed Jedi starfighter. Jedi to the Confederates were excellent bargaining chips to use against the Republic and they made the best gifts to their merciless leader, Count Dooku. _Like that'll ever happen._

She would gladly turn around a face her mechanical enemies but there was at least a battalion of three hundred battle droids after her and she also wasn't exactly in the best physical state at the moment. On top of all of that, the call of the darkside was strong and it clouded her mind, dulling her already weary senses. It was hard enough as it is to try to detect the lifeless killers but on Korriban it was near impossible.

To avoid capture she had made her way to a nearby canyon that had many veins riddling through it like a maze. The passages were hardly big enough for her to sprint through which made it perfect for losing bulky battle droids in. All she had to do was evade and not get lost entirely.

A fork in the narrow passage up ahead forced her to choice a direction. She turned left and rounded the corner just in time to see a red stun bolt flash by her and splatter on the wall next to her. The passages were so narrow that the droids were forced to pursue in a single file formation. It defiantly slowed them down but apparently not enough.

A rock overhang passed above and before the droids came around the corner she took the time to stretch out with the Force and yank the narrow overhang down. The rocks crashed into the passage, blocking it up tightly. It would hold against blaster fire but it wouldn't be long before the droids broke out the grenades to clear the path.

The next turn she took put her abruptly at the end of a blaster barrel. The squads of battle droid were just as surprised as she was when they suddenly ran into each other. The droid in front leveled its blaster for a point blank shot a squeezed the trigger. Ahsoka deflected the bolt with a quick draw of her shoto and used the Force to hurl the shooter into its confederates, causing a domino effect to occur amongst the tightly pack droids. With that way blocked she'd have to take another passage.

When she got a good lead on the droids, she thumbed her comlink. It turned on with the battery still charged but no signal was being received.

"Blast it," Ahsoka cursed as she scraped by another jagged rock and at the same time concluded that the droids were jamming all communications. Her chances of survival were getting slimmer by the minute. She needed a way out of the tangled passages ways. She can't keep running into droids and hope not to get shot at. Some form of protective shelter was needed or any shelter for that matter, something that she could hide in for the time being.

Her needs were quickly answered when the current passage she was in had ended and opened up into a spacious area with the canyon walls surrounding high above. In this area she found what appeared to be a temple of some sort. It was pyramid shaped with half of it being built into the canyon wall. It would make the perfect hiding place since the canyon walls were high enough to block out the sun and conceal the temple from anyone flying above. Plus the temple was made out of the same red stone that lined the canyon, giving it perfect camouflage.

But still, there was the fact that it was a _Sith_ temple. No doubt built by the ancient race to honor their darkside beliefs. She feared entering it will only deepen the darkness that already surrounded her. Anakin would probably have wanted her to stand her ground than enter the temple since he was so afraid of her being affected by the darkside.

The sound of marching metal feet echoed all around her. The hollow montrals on top of her head gave her ultrasonic hearing abilities that allowed her to gauge the distance the droids were from her. They weren't that far away…

The _Resolute_ turned sharply to maneuver out of range of the much slower Separatist dreadnaughts that were still relentlessly pounding away at the ship's rear shields with volleys of missiles. The last remaining escort ship had been destroyed which left the _Resolute _byitself to fend off the loaming ships. With both its communication array damaged and signal jamming from the enemy, the ship had no chance of calling for reinforcements.

Anakin still could not believe that he didn't see this ambush coming. The red plant's influence has clouded his judgment and not only is his ship badly damaged but his own padawan was trapped on Korriban.

"Sir," Amongst the panic, Clone Captain Rex had the calmest voice. "The _Resolute _can't take much more punishment. If we don't fall back now we'll be blown to dust."

A rebuke came to Anakin's mind for a response but Rex was a long time comrade and friend. He of all people would know best what he was going through. "I can't Rex, not while she's down there."

The senior clone rubbed his chin, feeling the bristles of a growing beard. He needed a shave. "What hope do we have of getting to her if we can't even launch a rescue craft without it being destroyed the minute it breaks away from the ship?"

"I won't abandon her and you know that." He retorted.

A solid hand clapped onto Anakin's shoulder. "Leaving now won't be abandoning her. We can jump out of system and come back with more ships. A whole fleet would be better but you get my point." His voice shifted from stern to that of a reminiscent old man who remembered the past like it was yesterday. "She's a tough girl you know. I've seen her survive things that would've made my hair turn gray. The battles she's been through have made her strong and there's just about nothing that can stand in her way. Whatever's down there she can take it."

Anakin sighed heavily and couldn't help but agree with his old friend. His padawan was like no other and is arguably the strongest apprentice in the Jedi Order. He will never abandon her, not as long as he lived.

"Get us clear… and activate hyperdrives…" The Jedi General said with a heavy voice that reflected his inner emotions.

As the _Resolute_ limped away from the Korriban system Anakin took one last moment to reach out with the Force to see if Ahsoka was still there. Korriban in the Force was covered in a shadowy veil and made it impossible for him to sense her. Even with the bond between master and apprentice, he still couldn't feel a sliver of her presence.

The ship finally jumped to light speed and Anakin vowed he will be back with an entire fleet to bring down upon the Separatist scum…

Ahsoka hesitated briefly as she took her first steps into the temple. The gates were wide open for her to enter and beyond them was nothing but darkness. She glanced over her shoulder and off in the distance battle droids were exiting the canyon and marching towards her. Going back wasn't an option anymore.

Barely two steps into the temple and she already felt an eerie feeling that could be closely associated with the feeling of being watched but it was much different.

She took another few steps and suddenly the gate behind her dropped down and slammed shut. The crash startled her and she reflexively reached for her weapons and activated them. Nothing but the green and yellow glow of her lightsabers illuminated the darkness. Beyond the mixed color of light was an impenetrable wall of darkness that looked all to menacing to gaze into.

The stone gate that had abruptly closed behind her thudded with a loud _pop_ and Ahsoka could only guess that the droids were now trying to break it down. It may be ancient but the gate was made of solid stone and a meter thick. Nothing short of a rocket will put break it down, which she was sure they had in supply.

The room she stood in was suddenly illuminated by torches that seem to have lit themselves with green flames. They lined all the walls and proved more than enough light to see by. Ahsoka didn't know what to make of it as she sheathed her weapons but kept them in hand. It was impossible for her to tell if it was some sort of automated system or Sith magic.

Directly a head was a seemingly endless length of hall that went beyond her vision. Torches lined the hall as well and carried on until all that could be seen at the end of it was a tiny speck of ember. It was also the only direction she could go since the antechamber she was in had no other exit except the main gate which she wasn't too keen on going back through.

Still hesitant on going any further, Ahsoka tried contacting her master again. Her comlink gave her nothing except for a few skips of electronic interference.

_Save me…_

Ahsoka head jerked up and she reeled around, thumbs ready to press the activation studs on her sabers. That voice she heard, it had to have come from somewhere.

She wondered if it had come from her comlink but that thought was put down since it was being jammed. Perhaps it was the temple playing tricks on her or maybe it was just her imagination… No, she defiantly heard a voice.

More than ever did she not want to continue into the Sith temple but a loud _thump_ from the gate encouraged her to move on. The droids were making progress and she didn't want to be trapped in the room when they finally breakthrough.

The hall she sprinted through was more linear then she thought as it only had one direction. A hundred meters behind her, the main gate was barely visible over the vast distance but red flames were breaking through and the droids were now trying to squeeze through.

As she quickened her pace, the feeling was sinking in deeper. It was like she was being pushed deeper and deeper into the temple by a presence. It came as odd to her that the temple itself did not wreak of the darkside as the surface had. Something set this temple apart from the planet but she couldn't figure out why.

The sound of metal rolling against stone picked up in the back of her montrals. Ahsoka looked over shoulder and saw a squad of Drodeka fast approaching in there "wheel" configurations. They were apex droids with shields and far superior firepower. There was no way she could stand up to them in such a narrow area. She'd be gunned down for sure. Her only hope was to keep up her sprint for as long as she could.

The rolling droids were closing the gap between them and their prey when they found themselves dropping into a bottomless pit and impaling on long jagged polls at the bottom.

Ahsoka skidded to a halt and breathed heavily as she saw a pit had opened up right in front of the droids. She had stepped in that same spot only seconds ago and yet the pit hadn't appeared. Now it was obvious something was in control and activating traps that would hinder her pursuer's progress in capturing her.

Not bothering to find and explanation for the trap, she sprinted again towards whatever was drawing her as standard droids caught up and began firing stun bolts at her. The droids used cables to cross the other side of the pit before them and slowly made it a across. They then ran after Ahsoka, blasters firing away stun bolts. Ahsoka dodged the bolts as she sensed them come from behind.

It then hit her that she could actually _sense_ the bolts which she couldn't do outside of the temple. The temple wasn't at all hindering her Force abilities, giving her full access to them. She had wished she realized this sooner.

A droid fired a rocket and it zoomed down the hall aimed directly at Ahsoka. Seeing no other option, she spun around and faced the rocket head on, using the Force in an attempt to push it away. The rocket slowed but not by much and it would've hit her if the ceiling above hadn't suddenly collapsed in a cascade of boulders. The rocket was caught by the boulders and exploded midflight. A blast wave knocked Ahsoka off her feet and threw her to the ground.

As she lied on the ground she realized how much her body was aching. All the cuts, impacts and fatigue were now coming to her attention and exacting a painful toll on her. The resent explosion had just put that into perspective. It was also clear now that the droids weren't trying to capture her anymore. She would've died if the ceiling hadn't collapsed which had also nearly crushed her too. Ahsoka didn't know whether to be thankful of whatever saved her or dismayed that something related to the Sith was helping. As a Jedi she automatically didn't trust anything Sith but this temple, this feeling she was getting as well, was putting that notion into a different view.

_Get up…_

A demanding voice came to her mind, this time loud and clear. Ahsoka opened her eyes and got to her feet on shaky legs. Again she was being urged to move and she obeyed the voice because the droids were trying to dig their way through the mess of rocks blocking them from the other side of the hall.

This time she moved at a hurried walk as the strength to run eluded her. Now, more than ever, she was being drawn deeper into the temple by the voice. It came to her more frequently and clearly, telling to keep going and that it will protect her. Ahsoka tried to ignore it but the voice was lodged in the back of her mind, coming to her and encouraging her to come closer.

Eventually the hall finally ended at a pair of massive double doors that were three times her height and probably just as thick as the main gate. She took a step towards it and they slid aside like they were being pushed by the Force. As she walked past them they closed by themselves as well, just as she expected.

The room she was in reflected that of a tomb. Strange depictions of long forgotten battles were carved into the walls, bulky chandeliers held green fire in them as they hung from the ceiling and large, imposing statues of armored warriors wielding massive stone swords lined the path that stretched from where she stood to the other side of the tomb where a large stone block sat.

_Here…_

The voice called from across the room, beckoning her to approach. As she walked along the path and the presence within the room was clearly defined and existed brightly in the Force. It came from the stone which turned out to be a large sarcophagus sitting up vertically. It was carbon black with red chains wrapping around it tightly with the chains being held together by a circular pad located in the middle of the sarcophagus. The chains themselves gave off an unnatural red glow.

"What are you?" Ahsoka asked. She wasn't even sure she'd get an answer.

_A friend…_

She shook her head as she heard the voice. "I doubt that," She muttered. "What do you want?"

_Freedom… in exchange for salvation..._

"And what makes you think I need saving?" She shot back without thinking. It then dawned on her that all that has happened in the temple and how she had survived for so long may have been because of whoever was _trapped_ inside this tomb.

_Save me… and I shall save you…_

Ahsoka opened her mouth for another question when the entrance to the tomb shook violently with an audible explosion from the other side. The droids were breaking through!

_Choice our fates Jedi!_

The voice yelled in her mind. She didn't know what it meant by "choice our fates". It could be a Sith Lord's spirit for all she knew, trying to trick her into setting them free. The young Jedi couldn't help but feel suspicious about how this _person_ was going to save her from hundreds of battle droids. If she did release him – she assumed it was a male – then there might be a chance she will live through this but that would risk setting a dangerous being loose in the galaxy.

The grand stone doors were on the verge of crumbling from another explosion. One more and the droids would be through.

"May the Force guide me," She whispered to herself as her heart pumped in her chest. It was now or never.

She turned to face the sarcophagus and reached out with the Force to touch the mind of whoever existed within it. It felt hollow at first but then she felt something in there that didn't feel evil at all but rather dejected. She dug deeper to get a greater sense of the being inside and as she did so her mind was touched his and he too reached out with the Force. For a brief moment there minds melded together and by then Ahsoka can tell that he was being honest and that he will protect her. There was nothing malevolent within him which was all proof she needed.

"Okay, how do I free you?" Ahsoka said. A wave of gratitude came from the sarcophagus.

_Remove the seal…_

Ahsoka eyed the pad that held all the chains together around the prison. She outstretched her right hand to take hold of the small seal. Her hand hovered over the seal briefly with hesitation before she grasped it and began to pull.

The seal glowed white hot and immediately began to burn her hand. Ahsoka tried her best not to cry out in pain and failed. A small part of her wanted to back away but the majority of her wanted to survive and learn who was trapped inside.

_Pull! Break the Chains!_

The voice yelled encouragingly. Teeth grinding and arm twitching, Ahsoka held on with the palm of her hand feeling like it was being dipped in molten carbonite. The chains swayed back and forth as Ahsoka struggled to rip the seal away. Placing her left hand over her right forearm, she called upon the Force to give her the strength for one final pull. The seal broke and the chains slacked off the sarcophagus as she fell to the ground, grasping her right palm.

Her breathing turned to panting as she struggled to keep the pain from her hand as bay. She removed the sleeve from her right arm and gazed at the palm. Burned into it was the same symbol that had been on the seal holding the chains together. The symbol though did not feel as if it had been burned into her skin, more like neatly tattooed with no sign of burns. The symbol itself had a small circular center with rings of symbols surrounding it. Most of her palm was covered by the black symbol.

An explosion from across the room took her attention away from her aching palm. Squads of droids were racing into the tomb with blaster rifles raised and ready to fire. At the same time the lid to the sarcophagus lazily slid off and crashed into the floor and shattered like glass.

A figure wrapped in shadows was inside. At first glance Ahsoka can make out a few features. Red skin covered his body and long black hair dropped down to his neck. His eyes were hard to see because of the bangs that covered them but she could she a glint of yellow behind the hair. He wore a simple looking grey tunic with loosing fitting pants and thick, leathery boots.

The man stepped out of sarcophagus slowly and Ahsoka could tell by his smooth facial features that he was rather young. His height was just above hers, perhaps by three or four inches.

Ahsoka was speechless at the sight of him. Not because of how he looked like but because of the power that emanated from him. In her weakened state, the amount of Force poring off him was nearly overwhelming.

He shifted he gaze around the room to study the battle droids as they lined up before him and got ready to fire. For the first time he looked towards Ahsoka who was still on the ground and holding her marked hand.

"Thank you… Ahsoka…"

The stranger said what he needed to and then moved forward with stronger steps than before. He saw the droids breaking into and damaging his tomb by knocking over statues to clear room for them to march through.

It instilled anger into him that the mechanical monstrosities were desecrating his very resting place. That reason alone was enough for him to attack but he had a higher purpose now. The Jedi had released him from an eternal prison and doing so he was bound to protect her, even at the cost of his own life.

Releasing and vicious roar, the stranger jumped directly into the amassing enemy with fist raised and fire burning in his eyes…

**Thank you for reading and I hope you've enjoyed it,**

**xander867**


	3. Escape

_**Escape**_

His knuckles broke through the first battle droid's chest cavity with ease and a mess of wires and components came bursting out of its back. Where one droid fell there were ten more to take its place. Even so, the young man found it easy to maneuver and attack in the tightly packed quarters. The skinny B1 series battle droids were piled in the chamber and constantly bumped into each other.

He kept low to the ground and took the droids apart with nothing but his bare hands and insurmountable strength. By the time some of the droids turned to face there red blur of an enemy they were already in pieces.

Ahsoka watched from a distance as the person she had just released took control of the fight and occupied the droids all by himself. The red skin and yellow eyes led her to believe he was Sith. An actually living Sith who were thought to have been extinct for nearly five thousand years. If he is Sith then why didn't she sense the darkside within him? Maybe it wasn't apparent to her or he was hiding his presence in the Force. Darkside or not, it didn't matter at the moment. She couldn't even stand if she wanted to, let alone run. Releasing the Sith had drained her of energy and all she could do was sit and watch as her supposed "savior" defended her from the battle droids.

By now the young Sith was in the thick of the battle droid's sloppy formation, surrounded by identical tan-hued droids, all wielding clumsy blaster rifles that were near useless in close quarters combat. But still they managed to graze his skin with a few lucky shots. His tunic had a few burn marks in it and his boots were ripping apart from all the kicks he's delivered.

The droids surrounded him and they all had their blaster finally trained on him. Simultaneously they fired an endless volley of red fire from all around. The Sith was prepared for the onslaught. He dug deep inside of him and uncovered a long dormant power that has not seen use for an eternity.

An invisible barrier surrounded him and absorbed the blaster bolts. Each bolt that splashed against the shield he felt as if it were splashing against his skin with searing red pain. He took this pain and transformed it into anger and through this anger he coaxed himself into releasing a wave of Force energy all round him, knocking every droid within the vicinity into a wall or statue or each other.

The Sith took advantage of the chaos he created and used the Force to pick up one of the large statues surrounding him. The statue had a stone sword in its embrace which the Sith relieved it off before hurling it across the room and jamming it into the one entrance that the droids were using to enter. The sword was as long as he was tall which gave it a considerable amount of weight. Despite this he held on to the hilt firmly with both hands and used it to knock away droid who dared to still be functioning.

Whatever machine wasn't destroyed by the previous blast of Force energy was cleaved in half by the Sith's massive sword. He showed great agility wielding the burly weapon as he jumped from one point of the tomb to another with mechanical carnage in his wake.

An explosion from the entrance cleared the blocking statue and droids resumed to spill through with blaster rifle sounding off like a chorus of chirping birds.

The Sith quickly maneuvered his weapon in front of him and jammed the tip into the ground. The sword provided to be an excellent shield as long as he was able to compress his body within the boundaries of it. Blaster bolts chipped away at the stone weapon as the Sith contemplated on his next move. There were too many droids for him to fight and keep the Jedi safe. By sheer numbers alone they would eventually overrun him. He needed a diversion.

The green glow from the hanging chandeliers caught his attention and gave him an idea. While hiding behind the sword for cover he lashed out with the Force and severed the chains holding the chandeliers to the ceiling. Green fire spilled and rained down upon the droids who were instantly covered in its emerald blaze. With another lash of the Force he sent a gust of compressed air into the flames which made them grow furiously large.

A wall of green flames now separated his side of the tomb from the droids. The flames will eventually burn through all the oxygen in the room which left the Sith with no choice but to retreat.

He abandoned the ruined stone sword and run across the chamber to Ahsoka who was in the same spot where he last saw her, next to his infernal sarcophagus.

"What are you–" was all Ahsoka managed to say before the Sith slung an arm under her legs and back and picked her up. Ahsoka felt obsoletely insulted that she needed to be carried but now was not the time to be prideful.

He ran with haste to the end of the tomb and kicked in a tile in a mosaic wall. The tiles broke away in a cascading motion that started from the first shattered tile. Behind the wall was a shaft that seemed to have no end to it.

"Hold on to me." He said before abruptly leaping down into shaft. Ahsoka quickly hooked her arms around his neck as gust of wind blasted them as they descended into the darkness.

After thirty seconds of falling, Ahsoka felt herself being pressed deeper into her protector's arms as they came to an abrupt halt. The Sith grinned his teeth in pain as shock traveled from his feet to the rest of his body. The drop was longer then he had remembered.

They were still in darkness for a few seconds longer until green torches lit up. The shaft had no apparent exit but the churning of stones from a Force push showed that there was one. The Sith carried Ahsoka through the newly made exit and placed her on the ground in a hall that too seemed endless. He turned around and used the Force once again to collapse the hole he created, piling it high with loose boulders.

Ahsoka tried to push herself up against the wall but her aching legs buckled and she would've fallen to the floor had the Sith not caught her by her by the arm. He helped her up so that she could lean against the wall. She frowned at him and jerked her arm free of his grip. The two starred at each other for several silent seconds before Ahsoka finally found the courage to speak.

"You're Sith aren't you?"

To him it sounded more like a statement then a question. "Yes, I am Sith born."

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes at him. She was grateful for what he did but there was so much she didn't know and too little to trust him on. Before she could speak he spoke first.

"We must move to a safer area. The machines will eventually discover our escape." There was no emotion in his words. Just a stony expression that was indecipherable.

"No, not until you tell me what this is." She said and flashed her palm before him. The mark of the seal that had bound him to an eternity of imprisonment was perfectly etched into her skin. Just looking at it made him take a step back and grimace.

He turned his back to her. "Atkok, dwomutsiqsa Jidai." He growled.

Ahsoka cocked her head. "What was that about?"

The Sith regained he composure and turned back to her. "I said do not show that to me, Jedi." This time a hint of repressed anger made it past him solid facial expression.

"And why shouldn't I?" She crossed her arms and challenged. "I need to know a few things before I go anywhere with you. Also, I have a name which you somehow know so you don't have to keep calling me Jedi."

The Sith bit back a curse and shook his head at her utter ignorance. "I will explain myself soon. Now come with me so you don't get lost within my fortress."

"Your fortress?" She questioned.

"Yes, this is my fortress. With a mere thought it bends to my will. Anything that happens within these walls I will be aware of." He closed his eyes and reached out with the Force. "I can feel the legions of machines searching for us. The traps will hold them at bay but not for long. It would be wise to trust me for a little longer until I can get you to safety."

Another silence ensued with the Sith patiently waiting for a reply. Ahsoka finally spoke again but this time with less distrust.

"Why are you helping me? You're free now and you could just leave me here to die. As a Jedi, I am your enemy correct? I assumed all Sith were sworn to kill Jedi."

The Sith shook his head yet again in slow disagreement. "Ja'ak," He said in his language. "I am free but not without limits. I promised I will protect you and that is what I'll do. And it is as I said, I am Sith but I do not follow their beliefs. I am Sith only because I was born of the crimson race. I never considered myself a part of the Sith Order."

This took Ahsoka by surprise. A true Sith with no ties to the Sith Order? Is such a thing possible?

"We must move quickly," He insisted again and stretched out an arm to her.

Ahsoka looked at him for a moment before taking his arm around her waist and hooking her own around his neck. She was supported by him as they hurried through the very narrow hall which seemed very similar to the one at the entrance of the temple or fortress or tomb or whatever the Sith insisted it was…

Eventually they came to an abrupt halt in the middle of nowhere in the hall. The Sith felt the wall and searched for something that Ahsoka guessed to be a secret switch or panel.

The Sith's hand stopped over a stone tile and scrutinized carefully. Satisfied he found it, he waved a hand at the tile. It retreated inwardly into the wall and so did the tiles around it. A hole was made which revealed a short corridor that led into a vast antechamber with several other doors adjoined to it. Ahsoka and the Sith entered the room with their previous path closing behind them tightly with no sign of ever being opened.

"What is this place?" Ahsoka asked as she studied the room. A collection of what she assumed was art was packed throughout the room. Sculptures, tapestries, rugs and several other old looking pieces dotted the room. It seemed too decorated for a Sith fortress in Ahsoka's opinion.

"Sanctuary, it's where I can go to get away from my enemies." He closed his eyes as memories of the place came flooding back to him. "This is my home."

Ahsoka never thought Sith actually had homes. It was a fact that made her realize that Sith weren't that different from other species. Everyone needed a home, except Jedi who were not supposed to have attachment to anyone, place or thing.

The Sith led Ahsoka to a room on the far left which revealed to be a dormitory of some sorts. A single large bed occupied the spacious room along with lanterns that burned dimly with an artificial glow. The Sith set her down on the bed which felt surprisingly comfortable for being as old as the Sith. As she thought about it, the chambers she's seen looked like they haven't aged at all.

"Now that we're someplace safe," Ahsoka began as she propped her head on a pile of pillows which felt ever so comfortable. "I want answers. Now."

"Very well Jedi," He said.

She ignored that last part. "First off explain this mark and why is it on my hand." She rubbed her right palm as if to rub the mark away. It was a futile effort.

The Sith glanced down at the mark but quickly pulled his sight away. It made him extremely uncomfortable to even look at it. "That is the seal which held the chains to my prison together. With it removed I was freed but the seal can never be destroyed, only transformed into a different form. Your hand now bares the seal and instead of being bound by chains I am now bound by you."

Ahsoka blinked a few times. "Care to elaborate on that?"

"Instead of being confined to a prison you could say I am now under the watchful eye of a warden, that being you. The seal can cause great harm to me in the hands of someone who knows how to use it. It is a great weakness to me for which I cannot resist." He said.

"That explains why you hate to see it. It's a weakness that I have control over." Ahsoka said and saw that the Sith had an uncomfortable look on his face. "Don't worry. I won't use such a thing against you. Not like I know how anyways."

"In time you will discover its uses which are not all harmful to me." He said.

"I see," Ahsoka flexed the fingers on her right hand. The pain from before had turned into numbness and she wanted to fall into a deep rest. She'll get to that once she's got all of her answers.

"How long have you've been inside that prison?" She asked.

"I am not sure. The last coherent thoughts I had where that of pain and sorrow. The Republic had defeated our armies and were laying siege to this world and many others under our control." A flash of grief came across his expression but it was quickly removed with a great effort to hide it. It was still painful for him to remember the sight of his homeworld burning down with his people being helplessly slaughtered.

Ahsoka's chin dropped half an inch in surprise. "You've been inside there ever since the Great Hyperspace War. It was ancient conflict between the Republic and the Sith Empire. I've read that the Republic won and…" Ahsoka trailed off as she realized talking about the conflict that killed off the entirety of his race was troubling the Sith greatly. She felt his grief through the Force as if it were a gust of wind buffing her in the face. It surprised her she was able to feel his emotion so clearly. Even with her master she isn't able to sense and feel Anakin's emotions as clearly as the ones coming from the Sith.

"I'm sorry," She said. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You did nothing," He snapped, repressing ever bit of his emotions as he could from her. He sighed and gazed away from her. "Has it been so long that you use the word 'ancient' to describe things? How many of your galactic standard years has it truly been?"

"About five thousand of them." Ahsoka said and shrugged. "I guess that makes you the oldest person alive." She said with a weak smirk in an attempt to lighten the mood. It hardly did anything.

"True but not entirely. My imprisonment had left my body in a dormant state which slowed down the aging proses to a near halt. I am only eighteen standard years old once you've subtracted the time spent entombed." He looked back at her, his expression still as hard as stone. "Any more questions?"

Ahsoka pursed her lips and smirked. "Oh this interrogation has barely started." She again tried to lighten things. Nothing seemed to get past the Sith's solid expression. It's as if he had a permanent duracrete wall built around his emotions. "Earlier you told me you did not follow the beliefs of the Sith Order. What did you mean by that?"

"Simple, I do not agree nor follow the teachings of the Sith. I am a Sith by blood but not by affiliation. I was trained in the ways of the Sith but I refused to accept such cruel teachings. After all I was treated as if I were grotthu, a slave, by my master." His eyes narrowed with ire. "He's the one person I'm glad that died."

"You say that you don't agree with the Sith teachings, and therefore the darkside, yet you used anger to combat the droids." Ahsoka said observingly.

"I'm not afraid to defend myself if that's what you're getting at. I turned my own pain to anger and used it upon my enemies. I see nothing dark about that." He said which received him a disapproving look from the Ahsoka. "You don't believe me do you?"

"Correct on that one," She said and cocked an eye mark. "The use of anger is anything but good. If you're going to be protecting me as you say then I expect you to not use it."

The Sith groaned in annoyance. "Already I seldom use anger. It is a weapon I use lightly with great caution. I am fully aware of the consequences if I cannot control it. Using it makes me no more dark than an animal that kills to protect its offspring. Anger is a primal instinct that all sentient being experience." He sighed again. "But if you wish me not to use it then I won't. I must warn you that it will hinder my ability to protect you."

"Which brings us to my next question," Ahsoka began. "You rescued me from the droids back there. You did what you've promised and protected me. Why do you continue to do so?"

"When I said I'd protect you I meant for the rest of my life." He said and Ahsoka eyes widened in astonishment. "You see I pledged to serve as your defender because if you die… I die." Again Ahsoka was surprised, shocked even. "That is why I will stay with you for as long as you'll have me. My demise on the other hand won't affect you."

Ahsoka eye's narrowed. "That's why you want to protect me. You just want to save yourself." She said accusingly.

"You're wrong." He said firmly in a split-second. "Inside that prison I might as well have been dead. For nearly five thousand years I've waited in there, hoping that a day will come that someone will release me. You saved me and for that I am eternally grateful. Even if we weren't bound together I would still serve you in any way I could." He said with honesty burning deeply in his words.

"Fine then," Ahsoka said. "Get me out of here first then we will see if we'll stick together."

The Sith took a step back and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you again Jedi. I will give my life for yours at any time."

Ahsoka sighed. "Can't you just call me Ahsoka?"

"I will as soon as you speak my name." He plainly remarked.

The Togrutan Jedi gave him an inquisitive look. "And how am I supposed to know it if you don't tell me?"

"By learning it the way I learned yours. When our minds touched back at the tomb I caught a glimpse of who you are. Your name was the first thing I've learned along with other simple details."

"Well I wasn't exactly prying for information back then." She retorted.

"Use the bond that the mark creates between us. It'll eventually come to you." The Sith said and began to walk towards the door.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

The Sith looked over his shoulder. "I need to prepare a few things. The infernal machines will pay for desecrating my sanctuary."

He was nearly out the door when Ahsoka voiced one last question. "Why were you in that tomb to begin with?" She felt it was important question that had to be answered.

He stood in the doorway for a second and answered without looking back. "I wish I knew…"

The door slid shut behind him, leaving Ahsoka alone in the room to ponder on what he meant by that. If he didn't know why then who does?

Ahsoka lied flat on the bed and starred at the grey marble ceiling. It all seemed like a dream. An unbelievable dream at that. An ancient Sith from the past is now under her control and claims to be at her service. The prospect of having someone always watching and always defending her added a whole new meaning to overprotectiveness.

The only thing to do now was to rest and heals up her wounds. She closed her eyes and aloud the Force to spread throughout her body with calming clarity. It put her into a deep trance that will heal her wounds in a matter of hours. If only she had a Force technique that could wash all the blood and dust out of her clothes…

Footsteps echoed across the main room as the Sith made his way to a door situated near the far end. It was his personal chambers which shared a similar appearance with the room Ahsoka was now resting in. He sat down on the bed and finally released the Force energy he was using to maintain his strength. Repressed pain flooded him with angst and fury. The fighting, the burns and the fall had all exact a toll on his body which left him nearly drained of stamina. Despite his inherited Force strength he still had trouble fighting off the droids. He had kept his condition well hidden from Ahsoka for it was unacceptable to show weakness. An old Sith habit he could never shake off.

He reached under the collar of his tunic and pulled out a thin length of chain with a hologram matrix on the end of it. He took the chain off from around his neck and studied it closely. The matrix was a small crystal-like sphere. It was exactly as he remembered.

He clasped the matrix in his hand and held it tightly. A white hologram appeared before him and took the form of two beings. The first person was him as he looked before the war ever took place with the second being a white skinned human female with fair brown hair and gleaming tan eyes. In the holographic image the woman was much older than him and had a hand placed on his shoulder as they both smiled. This image was all he had left of her, the one person he truly cared about. In the cruel world he grew up in he could always rely on her to help and comfort him.

A tear dipped from the corner of his eye as he gazed upon the hologram. It reawakened a deep scare within him that bled out with sheer agony.

"Anya," He breathed a word through clenched teeth in his own language. He shut off the hologram and buried his face in his hands. The feeling of agony passed and he finally regained his composure. There would be time later to grieve. The enemy comes nearer and he needed to prepare. The first thing he needed to do was change out of his shredded clothes and cut his hair so it didn't get in his eyes during combat…

Hours later the Sith entered Ahsoka's room and found her still cozily asleep. The cuts on her body were healed up. nothing but the blood and dust on her cloths remanded. He attempted to wake her by shaking her shoulder gently. She didn't wake as she was in a deep trance.

Instead of shaking her again, he stretched out with the Force to nudge at her mind and told her telepathically to wake up. Ahsoka defiantly heard his call as she immediately shot up and reached for her lightsabers. The Sith covered her hands and kept her from igniting the weapons and accidently bisecting him in half.

Ahsoka realized she wasn't under attack and looked up at her protector. "Are the droids here?" She asked in a worried voice. "How long have I been out?"

The Sith placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Not long," He took a few steps back to give her room to get off the bed. "Vexok savaka," He said and motioned for her to follow.

"You have me at a loss here," Ahsoka said. "What did you say?"

The Sith shook his head. "Forgive me. I still revert to using my language on instinct. Galactic Basic was never my preferred form of speech." He said and again motioned for her to follow. "Come, there is work to do."

Ahsoka nodded and followed him. As she did she couldn't help but notice he looked considerably different.

His long hair was cut shorter than it was before and no longer concealed his yellow eyes. Instead of the grey cloths from before he was wearing a sleeveless black tunic with streaks of dull gold trimming the sides. His loose fitting pants and slim boots were of similar color and he had a red-blue sash wrapping around his waist with one end hanging slackly off to his right side.

They two made their way to a massively spacious room that was completely covered in darkness. With the clap of a hand, the lights in the room lit. The room was not a room at all but a hanger bay with a star ship berthed in the center of it.

"I take it were flying out of here." Ahsoka said as she gazed with intrigue at the sleek vessel. It was around fifty meters length which made it at least half the size of a Consular-class frigate. Its long bullet shape gave it a very smooth appearance with a pair of flared side pods in the rear that housed large thrusters. Its uniform black color made it blend in perfectly with the background and may be impossible to see in the blackness of space.

The Sith nodded. "Correct, this is my personal ship, the Kintik Jiaasjen. It means Ember Shadow in Basic."

Ahsoka left out a soft whistle as she appraised the beauty of a ship. "Your people sure do know how to make a ship."

"The droids are closing in on us and will soon find this place. They have already seized control over the majority of the structure. Thankfully this part of the fortress is deep underground and will be hard to access from the surface."

"So we have time then right?" She asked.

"We did have time,"He emphasized. "We must leave now."

The two entered the ship and prepared for takeoff. The Sith worked quickly with the controls while all Ahsoka did was sit in the copilots seat and watch. The controls to the craft were strange and operated in the Sith language. By the time the ship powered up, faint explosions could be heard. The droids were getting nearly on top of them now.

"Are we ready?" Ahsoka asked.

The Sith nodded. "Yes but first I must say goodbye."

"Goodbyes?" Ahsoka asked and then felt him reaching out deeply with the Force. Then red alarm lights blared inside the hanger as the whole place shook violently. "What did you do?" She asked in alarm.

The Sith had a gloom look on his face. "I ordered the fortress to self-destruct and destroy all the droids within it."

"But this is your home!" She exclaimed. "How could you let it be destroyed?"

"I rather see it buried and forgotten then be captured by an enemy. It will buy us time as well for our escape."

Ahsoka watched in silence as he lifted the ship off the ground and maneuvered it through a wide tunnel that gradually angled upward until it was completely vertical. The Ember Shadow picked up speed in its climb and eventually shot out of the tunnel and into the open air of Korriban's surface. Ahsoka immediately felt the dark presence of Korriban creep up her spine as soon they left the fortress behind. That feeling lessoned the more distance they put between them and the red planet.

Halfway through the atmosphere a faint explosion was heard that made the Sith grimace. Ahsoka knew that was his home going out in a massive explosion that left an enormous crater in the face of Korriban. She reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you," She said, wishing more than ever that she knew his name. "I won't forget your sacrifice."

He opened his mouth for a reply when the ship lurched with a hard thud. Red laser fire splashed across the Shadow's hull as Vulture droids swarmed her like a mynock drawn to a power cable.

"Sutta Chwituskak!" He cursed loudly. It was bad enough he had to destroy his home and now the enemy wished to destroy his ship and Ahsoka. This was unforgivable!

"Vultures," Ahsoka gasped. "The dreadnaughts must still be in-system."

The Shadow lurched again from a strafe of laser fire. "This ship has a reflective alloy hull which deflects most laser based weapons." The Sith explained as he spun the ship in a dizzying maneuver. "But that does not mean it can't take damage."

"Is there anything I can do?"

He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "There's a ladder that leads to a concealed dorsal turret in the back. Use it to keep the fighters at bay while I calculate a ship to lightspeed."

Ahsoka nodded and raced off to the turret. She found it were the Sith had told her and climbed up it. On the top of the ship the smooth surface broke apart and a turret cannon slipped out. Ahsoka got inside the turrets transparent bubble and began to blast away at the incoming fighters. The controls to the cannon were simple enough to use, just aim and pull a trigger.

The transparent shield that separated her from the vacuum of space gave her a clear view of all the Vultures swarming around. They were slippery fighters and hard to hit. She was used to scrapping the buzzards when inside her starfighter but seeing as how it was destroyed she'll have to make do with this.

Several minutes of cutthroat dogfighting left many grey scorch marks on the Shadow's hold. Ahsoka found it difficult to fire from a turret while the pilot kept twisting and turning the ship. She couldn't line up a clear shot.

An idea then struck her mind. She remembered what the Sith had told her early. He had explained that the seal on her hand bonded them in the Force. If that was true then linking their minds together momentarily should be possible.

She reached out in the Force to him and connected her mind to his. At first the Sith resisted but he then realized what she was doing and allowed her in. Their minds merged and they both suddenly experienced an overwhelming clairvoyance. Whatever one saw or thought the other would know about it. The melding of their minds allowed them to work in unison and knock Vultures out of the sky one by one.

Whenever Ahsoka needed him to turn the ship, he'd do it right away. The same went for him if he needed her to hit a fighter in particular. They were perfectly in sync with each other.

With the path finally cleared before them, the Sith pulled back a lever and the Ember Shadow was embraced in the tunnel of blue-white light that was hyperspace.

Releasing a sigh of relief, Ahsoka dropped the mind meld and she felt her mind draw away from his but not before she took a little peak at a few things. After her turret retracted into the ship she joined the pilot in the cockpit.

"Nice going there flyboy, I've never seen someone fly with such grace before." She mused sarcastically as she plopped down into her seat next to his.

"My piloting skills have dulled and the Ember Shadow isn't up to modern specifications." He conceded and rested back in his seat. "We'll drop out of hyperspace soon and set a new course to wherever you wish to go."

"Sounds good," She said and the two sat there in a long silence. Ahsoka waited a while before speaking. She wanted to be sure she got it right on the first try.

"Adas," She said softly.

For the first time he smiled faintly and gave her a nod.

Ahsoka returned the smile. "That's your name isn't it? Adas."

"It took you until we were in the middle of a battle for you to discover it." He said almost teasingly.

Ahsoka smirked his way. "Yeah it took me that long. Now if you call me Jedi one more time," She playfully punched him in the shoulder. "You'll regret it."

His smile only grew wider as he shook his head. "As you wish, Ahsoka Tano."

Near the end of their mind meld she had looked into his mind and discovered a few things. One of them being his name but oddly enough there was something else that came to her attention. The face of a human female came to her. She didn't know what to make of it so she decided not ask about it, yet. Whoever she was, she must've been important to Adas for him to be thinking about her.

* * *

><p><strong>I certainly hope you've enjoyed it and that you're not confused. If something is unclear then simple ask. More answers will come in time. I promise.<strong>

**xander867**


	4. Wisdom

_**Wisdom**_

_How could it have come to this?_

The occupants of the Jedi Temple looked on as a spectacle took place in the temples training arena. Jedi crowded in the second level balconies above the chamber with younglings clinging to the rails and padawans shouting out cheers. Knights and masters stood quietly by with a watchful eye over the battle unfolding below.

In the arena, a lightsaber duel played out between two figures, one tall and red, the other short and green. There lightsabers spun, twirled and finally clashed with masterful grace that put all the younger Jedi in a trance of amazement.

The duelists were like blurs with the smooth flow of their lightsabers being the only noise between them. And as the two fought, they had peculiar grins on their faces that spelled out there joy of facing one another.

Every Jedi was excited and intrigued to see their own Grand Master Yoda exchange blows with Adas, the last of the pureblood Sith. That is everyone except Ahsoka Tano who watched the fight from the balconies, her palm burning with anxiety…

**Three days earlier…**

The stone walls shuddered as another volley of cannon fire impacted the canyon that concealed his home. Adas staggered and put great effort to keep up his hurried pace through the long halls of his hidden fortress. The Republic warships have arrived and were now laying siege to his world, killing all of his people without discrimination. The Sith Empire was doomed.

His home was well hidden inside the canyon and would be hard to hit with cannons from a warship. But even so he wasn't going to take any chances. He went throughout the fortress home and established telepathic links with all parts of it which gave him the ability to trigger traps and change walls with a mere thought. All preparations were made in case Republic soldiers managed to find the entrance.

It made his blood boil to learn that his empire was doomed to destruction. The blame for which can solely go down upon the arrogant Sith Emperor who believed he could conquer the Republic with one massive attack. The Emperor failed, all Sith forces were lost and every Sith world was now defenseless against the Republic's retaliation. The second the Republic began to bombard Korriban Adas knew they weren't here to conquer but rather exterminate and wipe out all trances of the Sith.

His people may be extinguished but he will not die here and neither will she.

Adas finally came into a burial chamber inside the depths of his home. It was meant to be used as his own tomb when he passed away. That day was far off from now and yet she insisted on its preparation.

A woman sat meditatively in front of the open sarcophagus. Her normally white skin was far beyond pale and her brown hair had hints of gray in it with age lines coming across her otherwise smooth face. Her tan eyes were amongst the sharpest of her human features. She was in fact the only human amongst the Sith who was free while any other human, or any other species for that matter, was enslaved. It struck Adas as an odd thing to see her so gloom at a time like this. Her calmness would radiate through the Force in any situation but now… now she was cold and felt wrong to Adas. He couldn't quite pick up on her feelings and thoughts which suggested she was blurring them in order to keep them away from him. Something was amiss.

"_Anya, itt az ideje, hogy tavozzon._" He said as he approached, urging her it was time to leave.

The woman lowered her head slightly and then rose. She turned and beckoned him to join her next to the sarcophagus.

As he stood next to her he could clearly see the despair churning in her eyes. He had known her for all his life and he had never seen something so foreign as despair within her.

"_Mi a_ _baj, anya?_" Adas asked her what was wrong.

The woman didn't respond as first and then she slowly leaned forward, wrapping both shaking arms around him in an embrace. Adas returned the embrace and held her there for minutes. He waited for an explanation - or anything - that would tell him why she was like this. Yes, the world she has be forced to call home for the past eighteen years was burning down but that shouldn't have bothered her as much as it did to Adas. She was treated poorly by her master just like Adas and they both clearly disliked and even distrusted most other followers of the Sith way, despite their own Sith training.

"_Kerem, munnunk kell._" Adas urged again that they must get to the ship immediately. Very soon it will be impossible to leave Korriban without being blasted out of the sky by the Republic armada that hung over the red world like a roof of death.

The woman tightened her embrace around him once more and then let go. Her eyes met his and through the Force, Adas felt a life time of memories with her pass through him in a flash. It felt like a wave of nostalgia had hit him square in the chest, overwhelming him and removing strength and breath from his body.

As Adas struggled to recover from the intentional overwhelming the woman leaned in close again and whispered. "This is not your destiny Adas. The Force has shown me a different path for you." She spoke in Basic, her native tongue and language of the enemy. She only spoke it in the most extreme of circumstances.

Adas stared wide eyed at her as he couldn't move his muscles. His entire body was paralyzed by her mastery of the Force. She spoke again, her words heavier in grief then they ever have been before. "Forgive me my son…"

Adas' body was picked up and pushed gently into the sarcophagus. He didn't understand what was going on but he wasn't going to let it happen. He was going to leave her!

Adas deliberately bit his lower lip and drew blood from it. The pain that spiked through his body was enough for him to overcome his paralysis. But it was too late. The door slid closed and the sight of his mother's tear-stricken face was the last image he saw when the door closed shut and left him in darkness.

A roar came out of him in rage as he smashed his fist on the inside of the sarcophagus. "_Anya! Anya! Anya!_" He screamed over and over again calling out "mother" in Sith tongue. The door wouldn't budge and Adas resorted to drawing upon the Force for power. The sarcophagus shook furiously as he impacted the door again and again. He would've succeeded in freeing himself if the Force hadn't suddenly drained him. It left him cold and weak as if he was stricken by a plague. His senses dulled and disappeared entirely as he felt his eyes become unusually heavy. He was growing weak and tired and soon he slumped down with only a few words escaping his mouth before falling into coma like state.

"Why… mother… why…"

Adas awoke in his bunk aboard the _Ember Shadow_ with sweat dripping from his forehead and hands balled into fist. It was all a dream… or rather a memory from the not so distant past.

"Adas," A voice called out to him. The young Sith suddenly became aware of the second presence in the room. Ahsoka stood back from the bed out of his arms reach with a concerned look on her face.

Adas looked away. "What is it Ahsoka?" He said, wishing she'd go away. Her mark enabled her to see within him easily which was something he didn't want her to be doing at all right now.

Ahsoka's concerned look turned into a glare. "_What is it?_" she repeated him. "How about you tell me what is it with you? I clearly heard you screaming through the Force from the other side of the ship. When I tried to wake you, you nearly punched me and ended up putting a dent in the wall." She pointed at a fist shaped dent the wall next to the bunk and she also pointed out his knuckles were bleeding. "I've heard of bad dreams but you were fixing to kill something. I can't have you around if you going to be set off like this."

A long silence ensued with neither of them speaking a word. What Adas experienced was personal and not something Ahsoka needed to know about. "It's nothing you should worry about." He said as calmly as he could. "It won't happen again."

Ahsoka continued to glare at him and then sighed, losing her expression and replacing it with a neutral one. "Please be sure that it doesn't." She wondered if she could use her mark to make him talk but such actions were unfair and led to the darkside. She'd have to find out another way. "We've arrived in Coruscant system. Our destination is just over the horizon."

Adas nodded and they both of them went to the cockpit to take the _Ember Shadow_ in for a landing. The ship entered Coruscant's atmosphere and glided its way down towards the Jedi Temple. The _Ember Shadow _touched down on one of the rooftop landing pads, its black exterior being a stark contrast with the temples white color.

Ahsoka asked Adas to stay aboard the ship. The Sith agreed acceptingly as he wasn't too fond of other Jedi and he expected them to feel the same about him.

Ahsoka left him and made her way into the Jedi Temple. It has been months since she's seen its gleaming halls and just walking through them again brought back memories.

The first and foremost thing she must do is find her master. Being missing for several days will defiantly cause him to act a little rash. She predicted he'd embrace her and then scold her for the reckless stunt she pulled over Korriban.

The Temple's War Room was the best place to start looking. The room was used as a meeting place for military personal and Jedi who have accepted officer roles in the Grand Army. When she entered, it was particularly bare as only one person was present. That one person happened to be a Jedi Master whom she considered to be the closest thing she had to a father.

"Master Plo," Ahsoka called out and hurried over to give him a quick embrace. The Kel Dor was taken aback by surprise as he returned the hug.

"Ahsoka you're alive and well." He breathed with astonishment. "Many of us believed you have been lost."

The younger Jedi smirked. "It takes more than a couple of droids and a rusty old planet to put me down." She said. "Although I did have some help getting back."

Plo Koon regarded the state of her clothes and noted the darkened patches were blood and grime had been washed out. "Indeed, then I assume Skywalker's mission was successful."

She blinked. "What mission?"

Again Plo Koon was surprised. "Your master took half of a fleets worth of ships to Korriban in order to find you. He requested the ships directly from the Supreme Chancellor who was all too happy to agree. But it sounds as if you've returned on your own accord. Tell me, how did you escape?"

"Well…" She tried to find the right words. "I met someone who had the means of aiding my escape. He and his ship are atop of the Temple right now."

If she could see his eyes, Plo Koon would be giving her an inquisitive look right about now. "Something is on your mind Little Soka. What troubles you?"

"You see, the person who rescued me… is Sith"…

Hours later an emergency Jedi council meeting was held. Plo Koon was cautious about the news Ahsoka had given him and he passed it on to the half dozen Jedi Council members who were able to be present. Grand Master Yoda and Master Shaak Ti along with Master Plo Koon were the only masters present in person with the rest of the six broadcasting in via hologram. Anakin Skywalker though was too far out of range for a signal to reach him and due to the war the rest of the council was also out of reach.

Shaak Ti was the first to speak up after Ahsoka gave a brief report of the events that took place over the past few days. "How interesting, an actual Sith from ancient times." She said deep in thought. "And by releasing him you received a mark upon your hand?"

Ahsoka nodded with a hint of uneasiness as she showed the masters the mark on her right palm. Many of them had curious expressions but Plo Koon had no expression due to his breathing mask and Yoda's face was a solid as duracrete.

"Does anyone here believe he is telling the truth?" Obi-wan Kenobi's hologram spoke up. "He claims to not follow the Sith ways and yet he used emotion to combat battle droids. I find that contradicting." He has fought too many Sith Lords in his time for him to openly embrace the idea that a Sith wasn't inherently evil. After all, his old master was killed right in front of him by Darth Maul and his former padawan lost an arm to Count Dooku.

"Whatever his beliefs are it does not matter. We must be taken into custody." Ki-Adi-Mundi said. "We know two Sith Lords roam the galaxy, a third one will spill untold disaster."

Several of the masters nodded in agreement. Ahsoka grimaced as she knew Adas wouldn't accept such a treatment. He'd go down fighting.

"Quick to judge, we must not be." The eldest and wisest of the master spoke. "Doubt and suspicion, lead to the darkside they do." Master Yoda said.

Mace Windu's hologram blinked once and regarded the master. "With all due respect Master Yoda, Master Mundi has a valid point. The Sith is dangerous no matter what belief he holds. The risk of letting him walk freely is far too great."

"That decision, not ours to make, it is." Yoda shook his head in disagreement. "Help him adjust to the galaxy, we can. In doing so, bring balance to him it will as well as peace."

"Now is not the time for philosophy Master Yoda." Mundi said. "This is a Sith we're dealing with."

"Nonsense!" Yoda's voice broke the calm atmosphere. "To think we can hold an innocent against his will, arrogant it is. Being about more hate it will. An enemy he does not have to be."

Mundi opened his mouth to speak but Yoda raised a hand to silence him. He gathered up his cane beneath him and walked towards the exit.

"Where are you going Master Yoda?" Shaak Ti asked.

The old Jedi flashed her a grin. "Fallen asleep my legs have. Going for a walk I am." The door to the Council Chamber slid open. "Continue on without me." He waved a hand behind him and the doors slid shut.

Obi-wan was the first to break the awkward silence. "I guess Master Yoda has come to a decision."…

The last grey scorch mark was finally buffed out of the _Ember Shadow's_ hull and Adas let out an accomplishing breath as he sat on top of his ship. The black hull was now glistering in the sunset and was in a better state then it was after the skirmish over his home planet. The _Ember Shadow_ was the last piece of home he had left aside from the holo of his mother. It has served him well over the years he's had it.

Adas tilted his head back as memories of the time when he built it dripped into the back of his mind. He remembered the pains he went through to get every piece right and double and triple check his work. It took many days but when it was finished it was one of the fondest moments of his rather bleak life.

The sound of wood against metal ranged from behind and Adas spun up and found a little green alien tapping a cane against the ship's hull.

Adas had his fist half raised and halfcocked as he wondered if the little thing was a threat or not. He also wondered when and how he got on top of his ship without him so much as hearing him. There was something about the ancient looking alien's humble stature that was disarming. The robes he wore suggested he was a Jedi and his age most likely meant he was an experienced one.

The alien ran a three fingered hand over the smooth black hull and smiled. "Much attention you give to it. A sign of great resolve this is."

Adas dropped his arms into a fold. "Who are you? What do you want?" His tone was fare from polite.

"Yoda, I am. Teacher of many and mentor of most." The alien was of considerable strength in the Force, Adas could clearly sense it without having to try.

"That answers my first question." Adas growled.

Yoda tilted his head and one of his long ear twitched. "Hear your distrust I do. Jedi are not your friends, hmm?"

"No, they're not." He retorted as Yoda kept deflecting his question.

The Jedi flashed a prying look at the young Sith. "If Jedi are not you friends, then what does that make young Ahsoka?"

Adas opened his mouth for a rejoinder but then closed it. What did that make Ahsoka? She saved him and for that he was grateful but that was because she wanted to escape. If she could have escaped without releasing him she would've left him there. Or would she? He remembered the warm smile she gave him as they escaped from Korriban. It was genuine, tangible and real. Few things from back then were like that. Perhaps they were friends but that wasn't important to him, only his duty.

"She's… an ally." Adas finally said.

Yoda chuckled hysterically. "The same they are! Allies are friends, friends are allies. Trust Ahsoka you do, yes?"

"With my life," Adas meant that in a literal sense. He will gladly throw his life away if it meant saving Ahsoka's. "You think just because I trust Ahsoka it means I'll trust the rest of the Jedi? Don't you know what I am?"

Old and wise Yoda folded two hands over the handle of his cane, his expression palpable. "That depends, what do you think you are? No one can know, except for you. You think and you listen to your feelings. Tell you the truth they will."

What truth was there to have? He was Sith, period. He felt no shame in being a member of the crimson skinned race that followed the ways of the darkside. He did wish that ever being in the galaxy would not assume he is malevolent in any way. If doing what needs to be done to to protect and survive is evil then he is the scourge of the universe and deserves punishment along with every other living being that cares for their lives.

"I am Sith. There is nothing more." Adas said in all seriousness.

"Nothing more for now, that is." Yoda said. "Come now, show you something I must."

Adas hesitantly nodded and walked over to the edge of the ship. He was about to jump down when the little green alien tugged at the end of the sash around his waist.

"Help an old man down will you?" Yoda asked childishly.

If he needed help down then how did he even get up here? Was he just toying with him or testing him?

Whatever the case, Adas didn't want to think about it. He let the old Jedi hang on to his shoulders as he jumped down from the top of the _Ember Shadow_ in one smooth jump. He they hit the rooftop of the Jedi Temple, Adas felt soreness in his feet that reminded him of the fall he took to escape his tomb with an injured Ahsoka. It certainly did hurt.

Yoda led the way into the Jedi Temple at a slow pace. Adas didn't mind taking slow strides as he studied the interior closely. He wanted to remember the exact route back to the roof incase the Jedi turn hostile on him. But also he couldn't help but gaze at the remarkable architecture. Everything Sith built was all stone and eerie which was quite a distance from the glided halls and polished floors of the Temple.

A few Jedi passed by them and they all took the time to glance and or glare at Adas before moving on in a quickened pace. Adas ignored the prejudice looks. Let them think he was bad or something, it meant he wouldn't have to bother with any further ridiculous questions…

They were no longer in the main ziggurat but rather underneath it inside one of the Temple's seemingly endless sublevels. There were no Jedi or staff or droids to see as the halls were eerily quiet. If they were going to ambush him, this would be the place to do it. Adas kept his guard up and senses sharp.

Finally Yoda stopped walking and faced a thick wall that had no significance to it what so ever.

Adas flashed a questioned and Yoda answered by waving a hand at the wall. It separated in two and opened up another passage way. Apparently the Sith weren't the only ones who favor false walls.

The secrets passage was lit by dim blue floor lights which cast shadows on everything. At the end of the passage was a cylindrical door that Adas could guess to be several feet thick and made of a highly resilient material. It opened at Yoda's command and he entered, gesturing Adas forward into the room.

Adas kept trying to sense if it was a trap but nothing he received in the Force told him so. He entered what appeared to be a vault room with Yoda right behind him. The things inside made his jaw drop.

"What is this place?" Adas gawked at the many items encased in glass boxes that dotted the room like a museum. The objects were not of Jedi creation but of Sith. The vault was filled with ancient artifacts from his time and from other points in history he did not know off.

"Secured away from the galaxy these items were, in an attempt to prevent the Sith teachings from ever being learned." Yoda said and Adas immediately spun on his heels to face him.

"And I am to join this vault aren't I?" Adas growled and dropped into a fighting stance. Yoda merely shook his head.

"Know the Sith ways you do but follow them you do not. A strong choice this is, to reject the means for greater power is something many are incapable of." A grin played across his face. "A Jedi quality this is."

Adas dropped his stance and glared at Yoda before turning to the rest of the vault. He walked amongst the object on display and studied them as Yoda patiently followed. "Is this all you wanted to show me, or is there more?" He asked, deflecting away Yoda's observation.

Yoda turned his gaze over to a specific glass case near the center of the vault. "Dangerous these artifacts are. Here in the Black Vault they stay and remain." He gestured Adas forward to the case Yoda was looking at. "But when used by the proper hands, they can become mighty tools for bettering the galaxy."

Yoda activated the lock release on the case and the contents floated from the pedestal it sat on and landed firmly in Adas' hands. It was a lightsaber and a magnificent one at that. Adas gazed at it in all its beauty.

"Impressive," He commented. "This weapon carries many Sith designs in it." The lightsaber had a blade emitter on each end making it possible to have two blades at the same time. The hilt was short for a double-bladed lightsaber but that gave it more maneuverability at the sacrifice of flexibility. A ring around the top of the hilt acted as a blade length adjuster which could extend the blade from a mere half meter to triple the length. As well as length, the blade intensity could also be adjusted. All of these characteristics of the lightsaber screamed Sith along with the negative energies that surrounded it.

"Belonged to a Jedi turned Sith it has." Yoda said. "Many generations ago, the Jedi fell to the darkside and embraced the Sith teachings. His lust led to his fall, along with the death of many innocents."

Adas felt the grip and touched the dark energies surrounding it. They were minute and nothing compared to what was on Korriban. The fallen Jedi must not have been a very good Sith. "By showing me this are you trying to emphasize the irony of me rejecting the Sith ways?" He sighed and flipped the blade in his hand and caught it with the other. "I don't care much for power. I've learned that long ago from a wise woman who taught me the consequences of having a lust for power."

"Hmm," Yoda began. "Know you do indeed. A wise person she must've been to teach such an important lesson. A Jedi lesson this is, taught to everyone and stressed greatly."

"An important lesson it was." Adas said under his breath and continues to study the lightsaber.

Yoda's ears perked up as if straining to hear that last part. "Know much about the Force you do. Hesitant to use power unless threatened or others are threatened. Strike when attacked. Kill when necessary."

"They are merely instincts. Anyone will kill when threatened or if anyone or thing of their care is at dire risk. It's a law of nature. No Force included." Adas said.

"The will of the Force guides all. Nature is the Force." Yoda said.

Their eyes locked onto each other's. "If that is so then was it the will of the Forces to exterminate my people and eradicate my civilization? Was it also the will of the Force to start the war that currently plagues this galaxy?" Adas challenged.

"Yes! All is guided by the Force. It is not good nor is it evil. Balance must exist in order to prevent disasters. When balance goes, so does peace in the galaxy. Wars such as this begin and end with disturbances in the Force." Yoda said.

"How can you be so sure? Has the Force been acting so disturbed lately that a galaxy-wide war just suddenly appeared out of nowhere?" He rolled his eyes. "From what I've seen only the greedy bureaucrats can be blamed."

"Blame not important, stopping the war is." Yoda said back. "The Force influences all things."

"If you insist," A sharp glare came across his face while a sharp grin came across Yoda's.

"Take this conversation elsewhere, we shall. Not enough room here, there is not." Yoda said and began his slow walk towards the exit. "Bring the lightsaber. We shall share our views in an orderly way." He smiled and continued onward.

If Adas didn't know any better, he was certain he was just challenged. He didn't care if Yoda believed in what he did, it wasn't his problem. But then again, he never has refused a challenge before…

As Ahsoka walked from the Council chamber to Adas' ship, she found many padawans rushing in the opposite direction to one part of the Temple. Most of the younger Jedi had eager looks on their faces which made Ahsoka wonder what had them all so hyped up about. She decided to catch someone coming her way and, as the Force would have it, she ran into her friend Barriss Offee.

"Barriss, what's going on?"

The Mirialan and recently prompted Jedi Knight regarded her friend. "Everyone is going to the training arena. There are whispers that Grand Master Yoda is fighting someone with red skin and yellow eyes. I've also been told he's Sith."

Ahsoka's jaw dropped half an inch before she wrenched it back up. Surprised rolled over her like a shockwave. "Is something the wrong Ahsoka?" Barriss asked.

"That depends," She replied. "Are they sparing together or fighting?"

"Judging by everyone's eagerness to watch, I would presume it to be the latter." Barriss said. "Shall we go see?"

"Yeah," She said with worry. "Right behind you," _This can't be good…_

Ahsoka and Barriss entered the arena balcony area where hundreds of Jedi, young and old, crowded into the limited space. Below in the pit of the room Ahsoka spotted Adas with a lightsaber clipped to his sash and Yoda standing across from him.

_What could they be fighting about?_ She wondered but more importantly. _How did it ever come to this?_

"Quite the crowd, you sure we should be _conversing_ here?" Adas asked as he studied the circular room. Most of the rails were clung to by Jedi Younglings with Padawans watching over them careful to make sure they don't lean to far over. Jedi knights and a few Masters stood in the back with watchful gazes on him. They were all interested in a display which is exactly what they'll get.

"Here we may speak as loud as we want." He looked around the room and waved to some of the Younglings who were all too excited to wave back and cheer. "Not the only one in the Temple with big ears, I am. Words spread quickly amongst young students." The Jedi Master grinned sharply. "Do not worry, Master Yoda won't speak too loudly." The old Jedi teased. Almost as if he were sticking his tong at him.

Adas grinned sharply. "If you seek to goad me in making the first move then you've succeeded!" The lightsaber he wielded project a single blue-white blade and Adas used it masterfully to get into an attacking stance. "I won't be foiled by your age and size. You must be stronger then most Jedi to attract such attention."

Yoda let out a short laugh. "Wisdom is greater than strength." A short lightsaber floated from his robs and slipped smoothly into his small hands. It activated with a short green blade that was several shades darker than his skin. "Come young Adas. Share your views of the Force!"

With one step, Adas leaped forward, closed in and was right on top of the smaller foe with lightsaber raised for a crushing strike. The older sidestepped and spun up high for a strike to the head. Adas took his feet out from under him and purposely fell forward to avoid the counter. He placed his free hand on the ground to prevent his body from slamming against the floor. Although Yoda missed his initial counter, he was still able to fall downwards upon Adas for a stab. Adas projected a blast of Force energy from the hand that supported him and the resulting _push _sent him spinning across the floor and safely away from Yoda's blade.

"Now then, what did you mean by the Force affecting all things." Adas said and used both hands to project a wave of Force at his opponent.

Yoda replied by jumping over the wave and coming down right behind Adas who managed to block just in time. "Simple that is. The Force touches all things and affects everything." Yoda twirled his saber up high and then low in order to slip past Adas' guard.

The Sith took a step back and swung hard with both hands. Yoda parried and stopped it from slicing his head in half. "Including things that are not alive, such as the droids that nearly killed Ahsoka?" They exchanged several retorts before pushing back from one another and landing outside of each other's saber reach.

"Yes, the Force acts in mysterious ways. Without the droids chasing her into your tomb, having this conversation we would not!" He held his weapon high and Adas was all too happy to charge.

Master Yoda was barely a meter tall which made most of Adas' attacks downward sweeps. Yoda also used the Force to empower his movements, making him as agile as he was eight hundred years ago.

"I see but," Adas spun and jabbed with his free hand once he swept for Yoda's feet. The master dodged both attacks. "Why do things like murder and war happen? Why would the Force allow that?"

The two exchanged blow for blow at an increasing pace before locking blades again. "Balance comes in all shapes and forms. The Force brings balance to itself, but if changed, disaster strikes."

"Sorry Yoda but you've already used that line!" Adas sent a wave of Force into the ground which bounced upwards and pushed Yoda into the air. The Master flipped and spun to avoid Adas' offensive and came safely down several meters away.

"Well played young one." He turned and raised a hand at Adas. "Now it is Master Yoda's turn to ask questions." Yoda projected a wave of Force at Adas who, instead of dodging, met it head on and used both hands to contain it.

"You seek to know why balance affects all and yet you embody it!" Yoda kept up the _push_ and Adas' legs began to buckle. "Why seek something clearly in front of you? The will of the Force guided you here, to this time."

Adas grinded his teeth as he dropped down to one knee. He was losing his hold over Yoda's attack. His mind then flashed to his mother's last words.

_This is not your destiny Adas. The Force has shown me a different path for you._

A spark ignited within him as the pain he felt from that fatal moment came rushing back to him. Instead of rejecting the emotions, he embraced them and they in turn empowered him. It coursed through his body like a tsunami across an ocean. It was incredible and yet dangerous.

"I…" He began and rose back to two feet. "Don't…" A blast built up in him, ready to explode. "Know!" Energy ripped out of his fingertips in the form of jagged blue lightning and spiraled at Yoda.

The Jedi Master was surprised but only for a moment. He summoned knowledge and used it to properly absorb the wicked light into his hands. His grin was gone as he stared at a panting Adas whose arms hung from his sides with tiredness.

"I don't know," Adas repeated. "And I don't care. What good would it serve me to know? I'm bound here to her and that is all I need to know. Grieving over the past brings me nothing!"

Yoda found a cord and had struck it. Something connected to him being here has provoked a powerful emotion within him. The old Jedi was glad to see Adas was able to control it and put it to use, even though he had just projected dark lightning in front of many Younglings who were now not so eager to stay close to the railing.

"The truth will bring about peace." Yoda replied. "Peace is a part of balance as is conflict. Too much conflict I sense in you. There is no emotion, there is peace."

Taking a few deep breaths, Adas calmed down a bit with the emotions leaving him along with their power. Yoda was right, he need to put a lid on things and keep that way. But he will still use his emotions if he must. Nothing Yoda says will change that.

"In the Sith Code, peace is a lie and there's only passion." He reignited his lightsaber, this time with both blades active. "I'm trying to find a middle ground to stand on. I can't give up emotion entirely but I do not want to embrace them when possible." He took a deep breath and steadied himself for an attack. "Now tell me, is that also the will of the Force, to find perfect balance for using my abilities?" He approached, lightsaber twisting.

Yoda parried and dodged as Adas adopted an entirely different fighting style with the double blades. He swung wildly at Yoda with the lightsaber revolving around him and striking with an opposite blade each time. His attack doubled in speed as well making Yoda put an actual effort into blocking and dodging.

"Interpret the Force clearly, few can." Yoda remarked as he kept blocking. "Clear to me its wishes are. Balance within you will result within greater balance across the galaxy."

There is was again, _a different path for him_. Adas mind blazed again with past memories. Was that what his mother wanted for him, to better the galaxy, to bring balance to the Force or to himself or even both? "You think I have a destiny, and I must take on the task of bring balance to the Force all by myself?"

Yoda caught Adas' blade and jammed it forward into the ground. The younger pulled back as Yoda predicted which left an opening for the old Jedi to land a decent kick to Adas' chest. "Not alone you are." He said as Adas stumbled back a few feet before regaining composure. "It takes two weights to balance a scale. You are only one."

Adas caught the meaning and turned to see Ahsoka on the balcony overheard, her eyes wide in with worry. He grimaced as he was sure the lightning had left a bad impression on her. So he reached out with the Force and touched Ahsoka's mind to calm her worried thoughts.

_Everything is fine. It won't happen again. Promise._

He wasn't sure if the entire message got through but judging by the nod and smile he received, he was certain she got the gist of it.

"The two of us then," Adas returned his attention to his opponent. "We bring balance to the Force, Sith and Jedi, how appropriate." He flicked his weapon forward and raised it high. "And how are we supposed to do that?"

Yoda giggled and also raised his blade high. "Speak clearly the Force doesn't! Drops hints it barely does!" The two charged at the same time, Force flowing into their weapons. They clashed with words and spoke with lightsabers with a magnificent Force talent. The resulting crash made the air ripple all around them and a loud crash echoed of the walls in all directions. They both stood there with lightsabers barely touching, each looking at the other.

"One thing I do know," Yoda began. "Fall too far and you may never come back. Trust Ahsoka to keep you safe and she will trust you to do the same." He smiled and pull back his lightsaber and deactivating it. "There is no passion,"

"There is serenity," Adas finished the line from the Jedi Code, another thing he learned from his mother. "I'll take on whatever challenge the Force has for me, as long as I do it with Ahsoka. She is my friend and I am bound to protect her as a friend and not a guardian." He bowed his head before the master. "Thank Master Yoda," He said and presented the double-bladed lightsaber.

The little green Jedi pushed the lightsaber back. "Keep it, use it wisely I trust in you will." The master then returned the bow which shocked so many younglings to see there master bow before a Sith. The Jedi in the room were all silent for a long moment before one brave soul began to clap.

Adas searched the balcony to find the source of the clapping and found it to be Ahsoka. Soon after a Mirialan Jedi Knight began to clap too and soon, the whole chamber was applauding.

A touch of happiness squirmed its way into Adas' heart and gave it a nice jolt. It was a feeling he had rarely experienced until now. Whether he was accepted amongst the Jedi or not, he did not know but in time he will learn to adapt to his new environment and hopeful establish a closer bond with the girl that saved him twice already…

**Hope you've enjoyed reading it. Oh and I know the whole balance theme is encroaching on the "Chosen One" prophecy. I'm just going to tuck that in a corner for now. I'll see if I can't tie a knot somewhere in the story that makes sense. **

**I'm trying a new thing where I'd write a little sneak peak in the beginning and then have the reader go through the rest of the story with their minds wondering what happens that leads up to the event. Tell me if you like this type of introduction and I may use it in another chapter.**

**xander867**


	5. Bickering

_**Bickering**_

"You seem distracted." Adas observed as he twirled his dual bladed lightsaber around him and brought it up for a casual strike.

Ahsoka pared it with minimal effort and threw a mock stab with no bite to it. "What makes you say that?" She asked, mind elsewhere along with aptitude for sparring.

With a two handed blow, Adas knocked the shoto lightsaber free of her hand and caught it as it came back down. "Need I say more?" He asked, presenting the deactivated weapon back to Ahsoka.

She sighed and took it back, clipping it onto her belt along with her other lightsaber. "It's my master, he will be arriving at any minute and I don't know what to say to him."

Her concede was truthful and disarming. Adas deactivated his weapon and slipped it into the straps on his left thigh. "It concerns your explanation of me doesn't it?" Adas gestured towards a bench at the end of the training room. The two walked across the busy room, having to walk around other Jedi who used different sections for their own practice and training. For the past few days Adas had noticed a slight discomfort in his friend which has grown with time until it now weighed down upon her like a ton of durasteel. He hopped a sparring section would bring out the fight in her and push away the problem that plagued her. With that not working, a talk was needed. They sat down and Adas waited for a response.

"My master is… different from other Jedi. If, or rather when, you meet him you'll find out he's a bit radical in terms of foes and allies."

Adas nodded. "You are afraid he'll consider me an enemy rather than an ally." It made sense. He wasn't exactly knee high in other allies himself. Not too many Jedi trust him but he has shared words with a few such as Ahsoka's friend Barriss Offee and the Jedi Librarian Jocasta Nu who constantly puts questions to him about what it was like five thousand years ago. "If it brings any comfort to you I'll try to avoid him at all cost."

A small smile played across her lips. "Then he'll come looking for you instead." She cast a gaze across the training room at the Jedi Younglings who were for the first time holding a lightsaber. Yoda was there teaching the little ones, as he always is, and explaining how to hold and use it with his backwards grammar and an occasional anecdote. "But there's more to it then you. The reason why I was trapped on Korriban was because I crashed, with my ship smashed to pieces after I intercepted a missile barrage that would've killed my master."

"I felt that last part, you falling through the sky of my homeworld with a tail of fire on your back." Adas remembered it clearly even though he had still been sealed up at the time. "In fact," He added, now remembering something that came shortly before. "I sensed you reaching out towards Korriban though the Force and that in turn caught my attention. That contact was the first I've had in thousands of years so I had desperately seized it and accidentally sent a bit of my built up power over to you." He grimaced a little. "I hope that didn't cause any trouble for you."

Ahsoka felt her jaw hang a centimeter lower than it should and pulled it back up. "When you reached back to me you inadvertently caused me to have a vision." She turned to him, her worry suddenly replaced with recognition. "That vision warned me that my master was in danger and if I hadn't acted on it he would be injured or worse." She smiled, this time brightly. "You saved my masters skin without even trying. I'm now thankful for that."

Adas returned the smile as best he could. He never did smile often back in his old life. "Then I won't have to hide from…"

"Anakin Skywalker," Ahsoka inserted. "And I think he'll be grateful too, if he believes us." Her comlink chirped, giving her the heads up that he was coming. "One thing you should know though," She tapped her com and stood. "He's even more protective of me than you are."…

The shuttle couldn't have landed fast enough. Anakin waited impatiently at the exit door as the shuttle maneuvered it the Jedi Temple's main hangar bay. It took longer than usual because someone, with a lot of guts, had parked a black bullet shaped ship on the side which took up a considerable amount of room. He had to admit, though, it was a nice looking ship. But that was beside his current objective, he needed to find his padawan. It took weeks to return from the failed attack at Korriban to get reinforcements and go about halfway back when the council informed him of Ahsoka's safe return. Another couple days was spent making a dead stop and turning back to Coruscant. And now he was finally about to be reunited with her.

The shuttle settled down and through the rear view port he saw her standing a safe distance away, as he expected, but he didn't expect the supposed Sith to be standing next to her. The ramp lowered and Anakin eased down it with heavy steps. Through the Force he probed the stranger for any sign of malevolent contempt or any reason at all for him to not like him. The Sith's mind was build sturdier than the underside of his flag ship which revealed nothing and yet something. He could shield his mind and that in turn made him an unpredictable.

"Master," Ahsoka greeted with her best smile and bow.

Anakin returned the bow and looked next to her. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your _friend_?" He used the word loosely, implying that they were not friends to begin with.

"This is Adas, a five thousand year old Sith who saved my life by protecting me from a battalion of battle droids and got us back here on his ship." She said with a sarcastic grin, both introducing Adas and summing about what had happened after the skirmish that had grounded her on Korriban.

Adas nodded in greetings. "Hello, Skywalker." And said and looked over to Ahsoka. "And to be exact my age is four thousand nine hundred and ninety seven."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Sometimes is just easier to be simple."

"I fail to see the point of simplicity in a manner that concerns an exact number." Adas retorted.

Ahsoka blow out a puff of air. "It's a little thing with in the Republic we like to call _straightforwardness_." She said making quote marks with her fingers. "It would help if you learned it."

Adas cocked an eyebrow. "I can be simple when I like." He threw up a mocking grin that was barely noticeable. "Such as when I disarmed you in our last match,"

That lit a fuse. "I was distracted." She said defensively. "Besides, when you fight seriously you tend to overdo it. Like when you dueled Master Yoda," She placed her backhand against her forehead and leaned to the side in a mocking gesture. "Never have I seen such wasted energy. Instead of blasting him with the Force you could've just, oh I don't know, _disarmed _him."

Anakin didn't know what was going on. The two of them were arguing back and forth like they knew each other, like they were actually friends. In the Force Adas felt closed up but he felt, though Ahsoka, that she is able to slip past his barriers and touch his mind. Some explanation was needed.

Anakin made forced a cough to grab the two bickering adolescent's attention. "I'd like to know, in detail, how and why you two found each other."

They two of them sighed. _We'll finish this later_. She shot through the force at Adas who rolled his eyes in response…

The group went to a meditation room and discussed for hours what had occurred during Anakin's absence. It made the Jedi Knight cringe when Ahsoka mentioned the state she was in was the droids hunted her down. He did not believe at first that Adas caused the vision that saved his life, but Ahsoka testimony shifted his judgment. All of it was confusing though. Here was a Sith – thought to have been extinct and who distastes the Sith teachings – that has sworn to protect Ahsoka no matter the cost. The mark on Ahsoka's hand disturbed him but there was nothing he could about that.

What surprised him the most, though, was how easily the two of them got along with each other. They reminded him of his friendship with Obi-wan, whom he's known for a decade. The bond between Ahsoka and Adas gives them a link that goes beyond normal bounds which would explain why they can argue like they've known each other for years. They can look past each other and see their true thoughts, something that he and Obi-wan couldn't do.

"…and with the droids behind us we got back to Coruscant in Adas' ship safe and sound." Ahsoka finished up the synopsis of their short journey from Korriban to Coruscant.

"Your ship," Anakin said to Adas. "Is it the black one in the hangar?" Adas nodded. "I see. It's an interesting piece of machinery. What's its hyperdrive rating?"

"Three point oh." Adas answered.

Anakin gave him a smirk. "That's pretty slow compared to the military standard one point oh."

Adas did his best not to glare. "It comes pretty close despite being four thousand and…" He felt Ahsoka slap his mind through the Force. "_Nearly _five thousand years old," He corrected with a grimace and shot a side long look to his friend who was sitting quietly and pretending to look innocent.

Yet another moment Anakin couldn't understand. The two of them communicate without sometimes having to share words, another thing he couldn't do, even with his own Padawan. He may be a Jedi Knight and above all emotions, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

The door to the meditation room slid open with a Jedi Youngling, barely ten, walking nervously in. "Umm…" the little girl began and took a step back when she saw Adas turn around to regard her. "Master Yoda wishes to see the three of you in the infirmary immediately." She said and didn't wait for a dismissal from the senor Jedi. The little girl walked away quickly, retreating from the room with the scary Sith in it.

Adas sighed and Ahsoka put a hand on his shoulder. _Guess I'm bad with kids_, he said through the Force.

"If Yoda wants us to see him in the infirmary that must mean someone is injured." Anakin guessed and stood. "And I have a feeling that someone is getting beaten up too much lately."…

The medical suite in the Temple was spacious and dominantly white with the single bed occupied with a middle aged human and a stool next to him with a little green alien perched on top of it.

"What could be taking them so long?" The human said and attempted to sit up in the bed but the stitches in his side gave him too much pain to ignore. "That man never seems to stop moving."

"Patients Obi-wan," Yoda said. "And do not move. Healers took great amount of time to fix you. Do not insult them but injuring yourself further."

Obi-wan Kenobi, Jedi Master and Council member, conceded to his superior. This must've been the fifth time he's been sitting in the infirmary, even the suite he was familiar with. He had stayed in it both during and after his faked death and assumed the identity of a bounty hunter. He also visited it after he returned from his brief enslavement by the Zygirians. And now he was stuck in the infirmary because of the brush with death that was caused by a man whom he though was killed just over ten years ago.

The door slid open and Anakin entered with two teenagers, both nearing adulthood, right behind him. "I leave for a few weeks and comeback to find you between half to death." Anakin threw up his hands in a mocking gesture. "I've got to say Obi-wan, maybe you shouldn't be flying solo anymore."

Obi-wan never gets tired of his hearing his former Padawan's witticisms. "Very funny Anakin," Obi-wan said sarcastically and looked passed him to the two youngers. "It's good to see you are alright Ahsoka. And you must be Adas, correct?"

The Sith gave a silent nod but Ahsoka's elbow encouraged him to speak. "A pleasantry to meet you, Obi-wan Kenobi,"

"All introduced we are now," Yoda gestured the three standing to come close. "On to a more serious matter," He nodded to Obi-wan.

"Right," The other Jedi Master said and looked to the three who had just entered. "An old enemy has been resurrected. One that I myself had killed many years ago… or at least I thought I did."

"What are you saying?" Anakin asked. The feeling he was getting off Obi-wan was suddenly darkened with worry.

"Darth Maul has returned and he is out for vengeance." Obi-wan finally said.

Anakin's eyes widened with surprise which turned to fury. "You mean the monster that killed Qui-Gon?" He tone was low and deadly. "And now he nearly killed you."

"Calm yourself Anakin, I'm alive and, err, almost well."

"Why did you face him alone? I could've helped." Anakin shot.

Obi-wan grimaced. "I'm sorry Anakin but he had hostages. I believed I could defeat him just as I had before but he had a brother and they both had me outmatched. It turns out Savage Oppress, Dooku's one time assassin, is Darth Maul's brother."

Adas spoke up. "Forgive me for interrupting but who is this 'Darth Maul'? In my language Darth means 'triumph over death' or 'immortal'. It is a title only bestowed upon Sith Lords who have conquered all their enemies and are truly supreme." He went silent for a second. "Is he a Sith Lord?" Obi-wan's silent nod confirmed his suspicions and he immediately grew furious, like Anakin. "Unacceptable," A breathed through clench teeth. His anger rose sharply but then was halted by Ahsoka's touch when she seized hold of his hand and transmitted calmness though her mark. It overwhelmed his anger and pushed it back down to the corner of his mind until it was nothing and forgotten. _Thank you,_ he said telepathically.

"With Maul back there are now three Sith Lords in the galaxy. One of them, the master, remains unknown." Obi-wan said. "We must take action quickly before any further chaos breaks out."

"Agreed with Obi-wan I am." Yoda began. "But understand things first we must. Discover the reason behind Maul's return we will."

"We can start by investigating the two previous planets Maul has been before he lured me to Raydonia. The cockpit Ventress and I escaped in has two navigation points marked prior to arriving to there." Obi-wan explained.

"Wait, _Ventress?_" That was Ahsoka. "What was she doing with you?"

"She came to collect a bounty on Oppress' head and ended up partnering with me in a duel." Obi-wan grinned at the irony of being saved by a former enemy. "Without her help I would've been killed."

"But she's killed so many Jedi before. How could you have let her walk away?" Ahsoka asked.

"Believe me Ahsoka I was in no condition to retain a woman of her caliber. She dropped me off at the closest Republic outpost and went back to whatever rock she called out from under." Obi-wan said.

"So where are these two locations?" Anakin asked.

"A junk world in the Outer Rim called Lotho Minor and after that Dathomir." Obi-wan explained and Anakin folded his arms.

"That's all we have to go on then." Anakin said and sighed. "The Separatist always seem to have us in the dark."

"In league with Dooku, we believe Maul is not." Yoda said. "Not impossible it is, but unlikely." He folded the palms of his hands together in a meditative stance. "Uncover the truth we will. Hope only it will not be too late."

"Don't worry master, I'll find Maul and put an end to him." Anakin said which sounded very dark and yet necessary. Maul had to be stopped.

"Count me in master." Ahsoka added. "We'll stop him for causing any more deaths."

Anakin immediately shook his head. "This is a Sith Lord who can kill Jedi Masters. You are far from ready to face him."

"Disagree I do," Yoda put in sharply. "Ahsoka's destiny has merged with Adas'. Together, more powerful in the Force they are. Help bring about balance they will. Go with you to Dathomir and Lotho Minor, they will."

Anakin sighed and gave Ahsoka a concerned look. "Don't worry master," Ahsoka reassured him. "I'll be fine." She turned to Adas who has been standing silently for a while. "What do you say Adas, want to hunt down a rogue Sith Lord?"

Adas gave her the sharpest of grins. "It would be my pleasure."

Ahsoka smiled and then realized she was still holding Adas' from before. The other masters were too busy discussing details to notice it too. She quickly gave it an affectionate squeeze before loosening her grip and letting it fall away from her. No matter what, she could always count on Adas to be by her side, to protect her. She in turn would protect him from his anger, from his hate and from his self. He was powerful but did not possess the amount of control he should have. Ahsoka could help him control his emotions and power and possibly direct them against their foes. Together they were defiantly stronger but just how strong, she wondered…

**I've decided to turn this story into a continuation of season four. I've got a long trail of ideas to apply to this so I'm going to be writing like the wind. I hope you've all enjoyed reading.**

**xander867**


	6. Enigma

_Enigma _

Deep within the empty void of space a lone freighter drifted lifelessly along on an undetermined course. Onboard the bridge a sinister man sat with his metallic legs crossed before him. His red ringed yellow eyes were closed in deep concentration. Only when his brother entered did he open them.

A massive Zabrak entered with thudding footsteps. He stood at a height over seven feet with a double bladed lightsaber strapped firmly to his side. "Are we ready to leave now brother?"

Darth Maul sensed the other annoyance. "Patience, Savage. Only fools leap blindly into the future."

The big one growled. "I'm tired of waiting. We should be exacting our vengeance on everyone who's crossed us." He balled his hands into fist. "Our enemies are out there plotting against us and you insist on hiding and meditating." Anger was clearly transmitting his voice.

"Our enemies?" Maul rose sharply with fury in his eyes. "_Us?_" With a mere thought he clamped an invisible hand around Savage's neck. The bulky Zabrak fell to his knees with hands around his neck. "What makes you think I need you? I am a Sith Lord! No one is stronger than I!" Maul released his grip and Savage inhaled sharply. "How do I even know you are my brother? How could you possibly know? You were told by a Dathomir witch who conspired with Ventress who betrayed you. More than likely you are bringing me into a trap and you don't even know it. This Mother Talzin is playing you for a fool."

"No my brother," Savage remained on his knees. "I can sense the bond between us. The talisman that led me to you would not have worked if we weren't kin. Perhaps the witch is using me but I do not care for we don't need her anymore."

"Again you speak of us." Maul said threateningly. "I've learned that having allies will always lead to one thing and one thing only: they will betray you at the moment when you are weak and easy to destroy. A Sith needs not allies but servants who will either serve or die."

"Then I will serve you my brother!" Savage proclaimed without hesitating. "Kill me if you have no use for me. But if I serve than there's one thing I ask in return."

The Sith Lord's eye narrowed dangerously. "Speak then, what do you want?"

Savage locked gazes with his brother. "Revenge," He claimed. "I want revenge against Ventress, Dooku, Talzin and the Jedi. There is nothing else I seek in this life."

Crossing his arm across his tattooed chest, Maul studied him. "Hmm yes a reasonable want. But revenge comes only when you have the power to exact it. Therefore you will seek power which can be used for other purposes." He breathed inwardly and exhaled like he was spitting acid. "Like destroying me,"

"If that is what you believe I will do then you may as well kill me now." Savage said. "I have no business living without my revenge."

A sinister smile played across Maul's lips and he reached for his lightsaber. The old red blade came to life with a _hiss_. "Is that so?"

Savage prepared for the strike and he looked down at the floor regretting nothing but not achieving his goal. Maul grinded his teeth and swung swiftly…

A mixture of different languages conversing amongst each other filled the atmosphere of the Jedi Temple's dining hall. Younglings and Masters alike ate together but most of the time sat amongst their own peers. Far off in the corner was a table with two occupants. One being a red skinned Sith with a Togrutan girl sitting across from him.

"And so you had to that how many times a day?" Ahsoka asked before eating a piece of her hawk-bat eggs.

Adas thought for a moment. "About twelve times with no excuses. I can't remember how many times I broke a bone from that."

"And here I thought Jedi training was tough. Sith seem to push you until you're about to die."

"That's the point. Sith training was your life and if you didn't meet expectations then, well," He flattened his hand and moved it across his throat to illustrate his meaning. "Yet another reason why I hated it," He took a bite of his food.

Ahsoka's eyes flashed. "Which reminds me of something," She gave him a prying look. "You were raised by Sith and yet you know a lot about the Jedi way. You even act like one sometimes. So tell me this, how do you know so much about us?"

Adas thought for a long moment and then put his eating utensil done on the tray. "It's not that much of a secret or anything." He sighed. "My mother was a Jedi and she taught me, in secret, her teachings of the Force."

The other was surprised as Adas had expected. "You mean that human was your mother?"

"How did you know she was human?" Adas asked, being surprised also.

"Oh, I'm sorry," She apologized with a grimace. "When we melded minds over Korriban I saw a human female in your mind. I didn't bring it up earlier because it seemed personal."

Adas waved a hand casually. "Don't worry about Ahsoka. Like I said it's no big secret."

His mind flashed back into his memories. "The Sith Empire I lived in had developed without the Old Republic knowing of its existence and the same went for the Sith. Both civilizations grew until they discovered each other and soon after the Sith declared war as they saw the Republic as a means of expanding the Empire. Some years before the war ever happened a young Jedi explorer stumbled across Korriban and was immediately captured. She was the first human to see the Sith in thousands of years which made her a complete anomaly amongst them. Several Sith Lords tried to claim her as a slave and a lot of infighting broke out over it. Eventually one Sith Lord took possession of her as a trophy. That Jedi explorer was my mother and she managed to suppress her Jedi abilities from everyone in order to make them think she was just a simple sentient who got lost. For years she had plotted to escape and alert the Republic to the dark side civilization while at the same time she studied the Sith. She would've escaped Korriban too if her enslaver hadn't performed… experiments on her. One of these experiments resulted in an artificial impregnation by use of a Force ritual."

Ahsoka listened to every word intently. "She gave birth to you and she couldn't leave because the Sith Lord kept you away from you her. He didn't want his experiment to run away on him."

"Exactly," Adas said. "I was separated from her for the most part but she always found a way around the obstacles that separated us. In secret she taught me about the Republic and its Jedi guardians. I learned the basics like the Jedi Code and when and how to use my powers."

"In other words she kept you from turning into the Sith who treated you like nothing."

Adas nodded. "And when the war finally reached my home I was about to escape on my ship with her when…" He paused for a long while and clenched his fist atop of the table. "She placed me in that _atkozott_ sarcophagus. And well… you know the rest of the story."

Ahsoka reached across the table and put a hand on top of his. She expressed her sympathy not in words but in a light touch in the Force.

_Thanks._ Adas replied to the touch and forced a smile. He then shrugged and went back to his food. "No point in dwelling on that anyways."

She knew better. Adas was just trying to cover up his feelings about what his mother did to him. She wanted to help but she didn't know how. For now she'll have to let it slide.

After gulping down the last of his blue milk Adas said, "How long do you think it'll take for the Jedi Council to find any leads on the resurrected Sith Lord?"

An obvious ploy to change the subject but Ahsoka appeased him. "It's hard to say. Maul has been lying low recently. Our best seers can't find him through the Force and none of our patrols have found any evidence pointing to his whereabouts." She sighed. "If we don't find him soon more innocents will die."

"That is if he doesn't find us first." Adas commented.

Ahsoka cocked an eye mark. "What makes you think he'll come for us?"

"He's a Sith remember. Constant, and sometimes random, aggression is always dictated in their actions. I can guess he'll keep quiet and wait for the best time to strike. According to my training, that's what any Sith would do."

"Knowing when he'll appear is only half the battle. According to Obi-wan the man is extremely powerful."

"I would guess so because the title of 'Sith Lord' is not given away lightly. At least in my era it wasn't. Another question we should ask is what are _we_ going to do when we face him?" Adas said.

Ahsoka caught the meaning. He was referring to the two of them confronting the dark lord themselves. "I hope the two of us don't face him alone. Obi-wan barely survived his last encounter with the darth, and even then he had help."

"I doubt either of us are ready for a full-blown Lord of the Sith. But we are likely to run into him with you being the padawan of Skywalker who is working closely with Kenobi who happened to have bisected Maul a long time ago. My firsthand knowledge of Sith will have me on the frontlines as well. We are more than likely to run into Maul one day and I want us to be prepared for it."

"How do even begin to prepare to fight a Sith Lord?" Ahsoka asked. "Only Jedi like Anakin, Yoda, and Mace have a standing chance against him."

"True but we have our bond." Adas pointed at her marked hand. "Together I believe we can at least hold our own against the Sith Lord if not drive him back."

She was of course skeptical of this. "I have doubts about that."

Adas would've been offended by her lack of faith in him but her doubt was understandable. "Then let me wash those doubts away. Allow me to teach you one of my techniques and it will show you what we can do together."

"A Sith technique?" She asked cautiously.

"Not exactly," He shrugged. "It's something I developed with the help of my mother. Trust me though, it'll blow you away."

"Well I guess it couldn't hurt to learn something new." She raised a finger at him. "But no dark side techniques, understood?" She said in all seriousness. Adas nodded and they headed for the sparring arena…

It took a second for Savage to realize he wasn't dead and that Maul's blade was just hovering next to his shoulder, inches from the armor plates he wore.

"You accept death so willingly. Why?" Maul said.

Savage looked up. "Because I know you will achieve what I could not and because you are the strongest amongst all beings in the galaxy. To die by your hand will be nothing less than an honor."

Maul smiled again. "Good, I expect nothing less from my apprentice." Savage was baffled but contained his inner excitement. Maul moved his blade from one shoulder to the other in the old Sith fashion for accepting new apprentices. "You will be the first of many subordinates to obey my every whim. Serve me well I will make sure you see every last traitor and Jedi killed. Now rise Savage, rise anew as a Sith and master of the dark side!"

With a new found sense of purpose Savage brought himself back to his full height. "I am ready to serve."

"Good, we have much to do." Maul moved over to the pilots chair with Savage taking up co-pilot.

"Where do we go now?" Savage asked as Maul worked the controls.

He paused and gave Savage a look that seemed rather excited but in a sick and dark way. "Before my death I had been constructing my own plans for galactic domination, which I would use against Sidious when the day came that I struck him down." He looked passed viewport and out into the blackness as if he was looking at something directly. "I have discovered something that will give me the ultimate advantage against all of my enemies. It's location I've recorded in a databank in a hidden base for future use and to keep it safe from Sidious."

"I see," Savage spoke up. "We retrieve your map and find this thing you've found. Is it a weapon or a power to wield?"

"In a way, yes, it is a very unique weapon. And it will be mine." He finished up his work and pulled back a lever that engaged the hyper drive. "To Coruscant we go."…

Ahsoka was painting hard with her hands on her knees and lightsaber still warm from use. "I think we finally did it." She spoke in between breaths.

Adas too was in a fatigued state, "No doubt about it, our bond makes us stronger when together than apart."

After a week of constant training the two of them now could use Adas' technique together in perfect synchronization. The piles of destroyed training droids had been their practice targets which were now in no state to move. The technique did have its draw backs but if used correctly it would prove to be a trump card to be played during desperate times.

"Remember Ahsoka, this technique can only be used when we are in perfect harmony with each other. Do you understand?" The Jedi nodded.

It was late and they were ready to catch some much needed sleep. On their way to their rooms Ahsoka's comlink went off and she answered.

"Ahsoka," It was Anakin's voice. "Report to the war room immediately and bring your friend with you."

Ahsoka picked up on the stress in his voice. He sounded like he did over Korriban. "Master what's happening?"

"It's Maul," He said which carried a shock to the both of them. "He's here on Coruscant."…

**I'm purposely leaving out details of Adas' techniques. I want that to be a little surprise in the next chapter. I've got a solid outline of the story written out so now I just need to find the time to put the words down on paper. **

**I do apologize for the long break as I have been very bust recently. I'll try to keep up the updates, promise. **

**As always thank you for your time,  
>xander867 <strong>


	7. Darkness

**_Darkness_**

All fatigue left her body as Ahsoka entered the Jedi Command Center in the Jedi Temple with Adas. Despite spending most of the day in intense training with the Sith she feels more awake than ever. She knew her new found energy was coming from Adas who seemingly had more than enough to share through their bond. Ahsoka would've insisted that she could support herself but times were too serious for her to complain.

The command center was full of high ranking personal. Several Jedi Masters, including Anakin, were present along with Yoda and Shaak Ti from the Jedi Council. Officers from the Grand Army and Clone Intelligence were present along with a few familiar faces like Captain Rex of the 501st Legion and Commander Cody of the 212th Attack Battalion.

Darth Maul's sudden appearance on Coruscant had everyone awake and worried.

As the senior members of the gathering begun to speak Ahsoka and Adas took a seat in the back of the room. Ahsoka knew her place as an apprentice and would leave the discussion up to the Masters but Adas on the other hand was all too eager to listen in.

"Are we sure this information is reliable?" Shaak Ti, always the cautious one, spoke up first. "This can easily be a ploy meant to distract us."

Several present agreed. "I have the highest assurances that this report is accurate and consistent." The voice came from a young officer bearing a Republic Navy captain's insignia on his uniform. Ahsoka's head immediately perked up when she heard that voice. She craned her neck to look over several heads to see the officer had neatly trimmed brown hair and the most arrogant look on his face.

"Tarkin," Ahsoka whispered as if cursing.

Adas took note of her tone. "Do you know him?" Adas whispered to her.

The padawan nodded. "Wish I didn't," She grumbled. "Ever since we met we've always disagreed with each other. I never trusted him then and I don't now," It was because of this man that Master Peel's death was in vein after a daring rescue mission to get the Jedi Master out of the Separatist most secure prison. Tarkin refused to share his half of the Nexus Route with the Jedi Council and Ahsoka refused to share her half with the Supreme Chancellor. Since the mission the two half's have never been put together and the mission, along with Master Peel's death, was all for nothing.

The meeting continued with Tarkin still speaking. "We know that this _Sith thing_," He spit the words out as if it were sour blue milk. "Is here on Coruscant and we all know what we must do." He paused and cast a gaze over the clones and Jedi present. "For the sake of the Republic, he must be executed immediately. The Supreme Chancellor himself has put me in charge of this mission and he expects results as soon as possible."

"This is a Jedi mission and is not within the Chancellors jurisdiction." Anakin spoke up sharply. "It would be best if someone else be put in charge."

The other wasn't deterred one bit. "Oh really?" Tarkin dared Anakin to subvert his position. "The moment Maul entered Coruscant system was the moment the Maul fell under Chancellor Palpatine's authority. The man's a menace and a monster that must be stopped."

Anakin folded his arms. "You don't know a single thing about Sith and you certainly don't get to order Jedi around. Especially the ones who are generals in the Grand Army," Out of everyone present, Anakin was one of the highest ranking military member as a Jedi General. All the clones that were present he knew and was loyal to him. Tarkin was a power-hungry snake who would never do anything to step on the toes of a senior officer but he was currently hiding in the shadow of Palpatine and believed he was untouchable.

"This is not up for debate General Skywalker. If you have a problem then I suggest you speak to the Chancellor about it." Tarkin sneered.

From across the room Ahsoka clearly felt her master's growing anger. "We don't have time to discuss this." His voice was a step away from a roar. "Maul killed Master Qui-Gon years ago. He tried to kill Master Obi-wan and now he's here to do who knows what."

"What happened to Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-wan Kenobi is hardly any of my concern or what Maul had done in the past." Tarkin must've had a death wish to spit on Qui-gon's name like that. "All I need to concern myself with is how we are going to take him down."

"Enough bickering!" Yoda smashed the tip of his cane into the ground and silenced all. "No more quarrel, there will be. Assign the leader of this mission, I will."

"You cannot do that Master Yoda," Tarkin spoke up but was quickly hushed by the deep penetrating look Yoda gave him.

"You do not like? Then you leave. Clones stay with us," Yoda looked at both the clone commanders present who gave silent nods of approval.

With the sudden realization that he was alone amongst the group of clones and Jedi, Tarkin looked defeated. "Very well Master Yoda but I will remain as the Chancellors adviser and report directly to him when this is over."

Without acknowledging Tarkin's claim Yoda shifted his short gaze across the crowd. "Young Adas, step forward please."

Suddenly all eyes were on the two youngest members of the meeting. Adas looked just as his friend did as they shared a glance before he stepped forward. He now stood amongst some of the most powerful figures in the Republic.

"Know something about the Sith do you? Like to share insight? Hmm?" Yoda asked.

"Excuse me but who is this boy?" Tarkin burst out. "This is a highly secretive meeting. You have no right to be here."

Before anyone who knew Adas could speak against Tarkin, he spoke up first. "I'm Sith. Just like Maul," He gave Tarkin his best intimidation stare which made the captain recoil a little. "I've trained in the Sith teachings for most of my life so I know more about Sith than anyone else around."

Tarkin shut up for good this time. "Aw, well then, I suppose you are on our side since you are standing amongst the Jedi, your supposed eternal enemies."

"If I wasn't on the Republic's side you'd be dead right now." Adas threatened.

"Watch your tongue boy," Tarkin hissed. "Another word of treason from you and I'll have you arrested."

Adas ignored the empty threat and turned to address the room. "Despite what most people would think, Sith are some of the most rational thinkers in the galaxy. A sane Sith only does things for personal gain but unfortunately, from what I've seen, Maul is far from sane."

He tapped a few keys on the holo table before him and summoned up an image of the half man and half machine. "As one of the last Sith Lord's in the galaxy, Maul is alone and therefore weak by most standards. It's safe to guess that he wants to control all the worlds in the galaxy, but to do that he'll need a powerbase to support him and his rule. As it is taught, a lone Sith cannot conquer all. He needs an army and a very large one too if he wants to defeat both the Republic and Confederacy."

Tarkin rolled his eyes. "Your knowledge of the Sith is astounding," His tone made Ahsoka want to slap him across the face. "But that hardly address the situation at hand."

"I was getting to that part," Adas growled and turned back to the room. "The reason why Maul has come to Coruscant is simple: He wants something. Whatever it is he wants he cannot get anywhere else in the galaxy. That is why he'd take the risk of coming here where there is large Jedi presence. With that said, Maul must be desperate to be here and that desperation will make him all the more dangerous. I doubt he'll stay here for long. Once he finds what he's looking for, he'll disappear before striking again."

"Do you think he's after Master Kenobi?" Ahsoka spoke up.

For the first time Tarkin noticed the padawan. "Is every youngling in this temple aloud to come in? I find your lack of security most irritating."

Ahsoka folded her hands into fist for a moment before calming down. "As a commander in the Grand Army and the apprentice of General Skywalker I have the right to be here too." She spoke without bothering to meet Tarkin's stare.

Commander Cody stepped forward. "If Maul is after the General he won't get within a thousand kilometer of him. My battalion is ready to deploy and guard the temple in the event Kenobi is in danger." Since Obi-wan Kenobi was still injured from his previous duel with Maul he made for an easy target.

Master Yoda nodded. "We thank you for your kindness Commander. Obi-wan will be safe in your protection." He looked over at the young man with red skin. "Find Maul you think you can?" The elder received a nod from Adas. "Good, move fast we will. General Skywalker, Captain Rex," The two men stepped forward at attention. "Lead the Jedi-Clone strike team you will. When young Adas discovers Maul's location engage the Sith Lord you will. Capture him if possible. Master Ti and Padawan Tano will lead the support team and cut off any escape route for Maul to take advantage of."

"Just a moment," Tarkin broke in. "I must report this plan to the Chancellor before any action is taken."

Anakin, along with his equally resilient padawan, was about to tell Tarkin to get out when Yoda smirked and said, "Very well Captain Tarkin. Hurry though you must,"

With a satisfied grin Tarkin bowed. "I'm sure this won't take long," It was going to take as long as Tarkin wanted it to be. With that same grin he left the room to go to the Chancellors office.

An awkward silence ensued before Yoda felt it was safe to speak again. "Finally gone he is, move now before he comes back we must!"…

A squadron of gunships zipped through the night. They flew steadily into the Works District of Coruscant, an industrial sector dominated by factories and choking smog. Adas was in the lead gunship and giving the pilot direction to where he felt Maul's dark presence. As a Sith he can feel and decipher Maul's location better than any of the Jedi since he knows the dark side of the Force all too well.

Ahsoka rode in the rear gunship with her clone team and Master Shaak Ti. The mark on her hand kept their bond open and allowed her to feel what he felt and to share reassuring thoughts that everything was going to be fine. Ahsoka couldn't help but worry a bit about Adas who seemed so restless when someone mentions _Sith Lord_. What they did to him must've been more severe than she was led to believe.

The lead gunship dipped down onto the street level with the rest following suite. They squadron hovered just above a factory warehouse. It was dark, dusty and abandoned with no one in sight. Adas took the lead and jumped out of the gunship with Anakin and Yoda right behind him along with several squads of 501st legionaries using cables to descend to the ground. The rest of the gunships emptied their lodes before flying off and encircling the warehouse to make sure nothing comes in or out via the air.

The second team consisting of Ahsoka and Shaak Ti ordered their troops to create a perimeter around what seemed like the only entrance to the warehouse. The place was large and cavernous with only one massive door leading into it. The door was big enough to fly a freighter through.

"You sure this is the place?" Anakin asked Adas who was staring at the massive doors, sensing what was inside.

"I'm sure," He nodded. "Maul's stench is all over the place."

Anakin nodded. "Captain Rex, get the man formed up and tell them to blast anything that moves in there. We're taking no chances on this mission."

"On it sir," Rex acknowledged.

Adas took a few steps towards the door and then looked over his shoulder. Ahsoka was in the back commanding 212th clones into position with Shaak Ti at her side.

_Be safe. _He said to her through their bond. He turned and continued towards the warehouse.

_You too._ The reply came to him with calming clarity. Adas smiled lightly knowing she would be alright.

Summoning the Force to him, Adas reached out and pushed the massive double doors to the side. They slid apart with an ear blistering screech coming from the rusted out hinges.

"Impressive," Anakin commented, reflecting all the thoughts of all the clones behind him. "I'm sure we could've just blown it open."

His face made him looked drained but still ready to face anything. "Time is something we don't have." With a deep breath he entered the warehouse with the rest of the strike team behind him.

The clones activated their head mounted flashlights and raised blasters at the ready. They spread out amongst the warehouse which was empty except for a lone Turtle Freighter with its ion drives still warm. Anakin ordered the clones to search high and low for anything that remotely looked suspicious and to check the ship for any occupants.

After a search of the whole warehouse was conducted Rex, Anakin, Yoda and Adas met in the center.

"Sir, search complete, we found nothing. This place is as dead as Raxus Prime." Rex said.

"Duly noted captain." Anakin replied and turned to the youngest amongst them. "Well, anything?"

Adas nodded. "Yes, I feel him and… a second dark presence. Not as powerful as Maul's but still strong enough to be a threat." He looked around with an odd look. "He's not in here but rather…" He looked at the floor. "Below us." He ignited his lightsaber and began cutting a large square out of the floor. The two Jedi followed his lead and began cutting away at separate corners. With the square complete the three used the Force to wrench it free of ground and move it aside. A shaft was revealed that drilled deep into Coruscant's underworld.

Rex stepped forward and dropped a flare down the shaft. The bright light descended for several seconds before hitting the bottom which was an estimated three hundred feet down.

"Quite the drop. Our cables won't take us down that far." Rex said looking down the darkened shaft. Something about it just seemed intimidating. "We'll need jet packs but it will take some time to get them from the nearest supply depot.

"Continue alone we will, Captain Rex, stay and guard the entrance."

The clone acknowledged. Adas positioned himself on the edge of the abyss and then plunged himself down with the two Jedi right behind him…

Deep within his underground sanctuary, Maul studied a bright purple computer monitor that provided the only light in the darkened command room. He sat in a large chair with his metal legs folded beneath him in a way that was not possible for his old legs. He felt his apprentice enter the room and approach from behind.

"Master," Savage said, asking an unspoken question.

Maul raised a hand to silence him. "Yes my apprentice, I have sensed them too." He gazed at a security hologram with three people in it, walking down one of the halls in his lair. "I am most intrigued by how they found me this quickly. I was sure to dampen the Force around me, making it impossible for any Jedi to sense me." He then narrowed his eyes and looked at the youngest in the group of interlopers. "What is this?" He hissed and pause the hologram, zooming in on the one with red skin and yellow eyes. "Hmm, this boy is not a padawan or even a Jedi. Could he be…?"

"Is he trouble my master? I can crush him if you give me the opportunity."

A sinister grin came to Maul as he folded his hands together. "Your first trial, my apprentice, will be an interesting one. Deal with the boy, I'll handle the Jedi. But first we must separate them."…

The dark caverns were poorly lit and were difficult to navigate. Adas and Anakin used glow rods to light the way with Yoda following behind.

"Deep into the unknown we are. Stay alert, we all should." Yoda said, his ears perked high with one small hand on his cane and the other on his short hilt lightsaber.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Anakin commented and unclipped his lightsaber and held it tightly with his thumb ready to press the activation stud.

The caverns were part metal mesh and part stone, giving it the appearance that it had been constructed in a hurry with minimal expense. The walls looked like they were ready to crush them in an instant.

The cavern ended and the three found themselves in a large dome shaped room that had several other corridors leading to and from it.

"We must be in the central hub of this place." Anakin observed. "Which direction Adas?"

The youngest took a few steps forward and stopped. The Force was thick with a certain bloodlust that he knew all too well. A Sith trained in the dark side was nearby, he can feel his oppressing presence. Adas reached out deeper into the Force and tried to seize hold of the presence. He found it, but then it had found him.

Maul traced Adas' touch back to him and attacked his mind through the Force. Adas let loose a bloodcurdling scream, dropping his glow rod and placing both hands on his head. Maul's psychic touch bled into his mind and override Adas' mental defenses. It was like a virus slowly and painfully taking control.

_You are week, you are nothing!_

The voice of the Sith Lord penetrated his thoughts. It continued to ramble.

_I am Sith! True Sith! I am supreme!_

Yoda and Anakin were at Adas' side as he collapsed to his knees. "Control your emotions young Adas, push the intruder out!" Yoda said.

_Give up! Obey me! Or you will DIE!_

Controlling emotions was much harder to do then to let them loose. Using the pain as a trigger, Adas did what the Sith Lord did and he reached back and grabbed Maul's presence by the throat. He took back control of his mind and summoned up barriers to keep Maul out.

_Get… OUT! _Adas roared through the Force and sent Maul's presence fleeing.

With his mind his own again, Adas stood up and took in a deep breath. The heart in his chest still pounded with aggression and anger. How dare that monster take control of him? Even for the briefest of moments. _Unforgivable!_

"Control your emotions, you did not. Disappointed I am." Yoda said.

Adas glared at him. "Now is not the time for a lecture. A Jedi would've done that but I am _not_ a Jedi. I do what I must to survive." What he said was very Sith-like of him but he had no choice but to live. His life was tethered to another and he was responsible to anything that happened to her.

"Very impressive," A voice echoed out of the tunnel ahead of them. "Not many beings can survive a Sith Lord's touch."

A harsh cluck came with each fall of a footstep. The dim light in the domed room peered into the tunnel and slowly revealed a Zabrak with horns and tattoos on his red skinned face. A half man and half machine he was, the metal legs producing a hiss with each imposing step.

Darth Maul stepped into the room and grinned. "No doubt about it. You are Sith, just like me."

Two blue blades came out of Adas' lightsaber. "I am nothing like you!"

"I will be the judge of that." Maul hissed and looked over to Anakin. "My, my, little Skywalker sprouted a bit. I remember the last time I saw you on Naboo. It was the last time you ever saw Qui-gon Jinn alive." A sinister smile came to him. "Doesn't it make you angry that I managed to live while your first master died like a pitiful worm?"

Anakin's lightsaber roared to life. His brow furrowed deeply as he tried everything he could from giving in to anger.

"And you, little green rat," Maul pointed at Yoda. "Does the Jedi Order fear me so much that they would send their oldest and wisest member to take me down?" He laughed sadistically. "Merely my return has brought the order down to its knees in fear. When my plans our completely, the whole galaxy will follow suit."

"Enough talk," Adas growled a used the Force to launch himself forward. Maul simply stood there and made no attempt to grab his lightsaber. Adas raised his double bladed lightsaber swung. The blade found its mark and fell right through Maul as it touched nothing. Adas fell forward into the tunnel Maul had walked out of.

"A hologram?" Adas gasped and then was plunged into darkness. The tunnel door slammed shut and separated him from the room with the two Jedi. The young Sith roared with anger as he felt so stupid for falling for such a simple trick.

He turned to the door and struck his lightsaber at it. The blade bounced off it and only left a tiny scorch mark. The door was magnetically sealed and would repel anything, including a lightsaber.

"_Atkozott!_" Adas cursed in his native language. Maul wanted to separate them, and he has succeeded…

"Adas!" Anakin called out as the young man disappeared behind a heavy door. Anakin went up to the door and could feel the hairs on his arm stand up. "Magnetically sealed, _blast!_"

"What a fool he was," Maul's voice came from the cavern the three had entered from. The two Jedi turned to face Maul, the real Maul. "A Sith's one weakness is his temper."

"You are still outmatched Sith," Anakin said and got into an attack stance. Yoda sighed and lowered his cane to the ground. His little green lightsaber came to life calmly and was held at the ready.

"Surrender, this is your only warning." Yoda said.

Maul laughed again. "I find your humor amusing little rat. Perhaps I'll keep you alive long enough to tell me a few more jokes." He used the Force to call his lightsaber to hand and activate its blood red blade. "As I rip your still beating hearts from your chest, I want you to know that my new apprentice will be crushing that young boy into the ground until he submits. His Sith blood is a valuable asset to me, so I will need every last drop of it."

"Sith blood?" Anakin glared. "What do you need that for?"

Maul grinned. "You won't live long enough to find out!" He screamed and charged…

* * *

><p><strong>Time to get back on track with this story. Sorry for the wait.<strong>

**xander867**


	8. Everything

_Everything_

Adas swung his weapon repeatedly at the door but each blow bounced away like it was nothing. He cursed repeatedly at how Darth Maul outsmarted him and swore he would not be so gullible next time they meet.

Out of the corner of his mind he felt another presence in the same hall he was in. He spun around and at the end of the hall was a massive looking figure with the same horns and tattoos as Maul.

"You won't escape!" Adas deactivated his lightsaber and ran after the man. The figure took off with loud footsteps that echoed throughout the halls as he led the young Sith on a wild and maddening chase that led him deeper and deeper into the maze that was the Sith Lord's sanctuary. Adas can already tell he was lost but his target mattered more than getting lost forever.

The tall figure grew closer and closer as Adas charged forward with leaps and bounds that were made possible by the Force. He felt his anger tingle in the back of his mind, the glowing red anger that made him want to stop any who dared called themselves Sith from controlling the galaxy. He will not let the misdeeds of his people be repeated!

The man he chased turned a corner and then activated a control pad that sealed the route he took shut with a thick durasteel door. Adas growled and slammed his lightsaber blade into the door at full speed. To his surprise the door wasn't ray shielded and his lightsaber penetrated all the way to the other side with ease. He began cutting a circle big enough for him to squeeze through. The process was slow going and he can feel his target just on the other side.

The circle complete, Adas charged up a Force blast and set in right through the door, popping the plug out of the door. He leapt into the next room to find not Maul but someone very similar to him.

Cloaked in the blue light of a dozen flickering computer monitors a towering Zabrak stood before Adas in what appeared to be the control room of the whole base. He wore a set of black armor and wielded a double bladed lightsaber. The man turned around and glared at Adas with eyes as yellow as his.

"You," He pointed. "I will crush you."

Adas' brought his weapon to life. "You're not Maul," He wasn't, he couldn't be, and yet his dark presence in the Force was similar to Maul's even though it was weaker.

"No, I am Savage Oppress and my brother has deemed you an unworthy opponent. As his apprentice I am to deal with you to pass my trial of blood." His lightsaber roared to life. "You will be but a stepping stone in his plan to reshape the galaxy."

The glowing red anger blistered into something dangerous. "Unworthy am I?"

Sending a burst of strength to his feet, the younger charged with fury burning in his eyes. Both twin blades met and pattered, only to meet again and again as the two fell into a repetitive motion where one would strike, the other defend and then reverse.

Savage's bulky physique wasn't just cosmetic as his swings had the potential to cleave his opponent in half. Adas compensated for his disadvantage in strength by utilizing his superior agility to put himself in the best positions to either deflect of dodge incoming attacks.

Savage swung too wide and created an opening. Adas ducked under the swing and speared his lightsaber upwards into the man's center. The blade met the armor and then slid to the side, creating a light tear in the resilient metal.

Before Adas could recover from the failure of the attack, Savage seized him by the throat and tossed him into the row of computer screens behind him. Two screens broke on impact and a third cracked with sparks leaking from the side.

_That atkozott armor_. Adas thought and got up. If his armor was resistant to lightsaber attacks then he'll need to adjust his lightsaber's intensity to a higher setting.

With a twist of the ring around the bottom of the hilt, Adas' lightsaber hummed and changed from a bright blue to a shining white. Adas knew the lightsaber would overheat in a matter of minutes, so he'll have to make this quick.

He charged Savage again and their blades met. They engaged in their deadly dance, encircling themselves in the protective zones of their swings and striking when the opportunity presented itself.

Savages weapon caught Adas' as it arced down from an overhead strike. They held that position for several long seconds as they engaged in a tug-of-war to see who can push the hardest. Adas counted on Savage's strength to prevail against his so he let his saber be pushed back for several moments until he deactivated it.

The bulky Zabrak suddenly stumbled forward with surprise as Adas summersaulted past his legs and reactivated his lightsaber. Savage tried to swing behind at Adas as he stumbled forward but his attack was too high and gave Adas all the room he needed to stab his lightsaber into the man's thigh.

Adas meant to hit him in the heart but his haste caused his aim to suffer terribly. But still the white blade penetrated the armor and badly burned his leg. With a howl of pain Savage hit the ground with a loud thud.

The young Sith stood over him and quickly put his blade to the others throat. "Move and you die," He growled.

Savage didn't move but he kept his deactivated lightsaber in hand. His eyes screamed anger and it was clear he wouldn't surrender willingly. Adas swore to himself that he'd stop the spread of Sith teachings and that meant killing anyone who dared called themselves Sith. Nothing good can come from the dark side, he knows this and he hates it.

He was about to run his blade through Savages throat when all feeling left him except for an overwhelming pressure around his neck. Adas choked for air as he found his feet leaving the floor. A cold feeling took over him and made his body grow limp. He was being Force Chocked but not by Savage, he was too weak to have this much control over him. No, it couldn't be him, it had to be…

"Surprised?" The voice crackled from behind. Adas was sent flying through the air and crashed right into a metal wall, leaving a dent. He collapsed onto the floor with his black colored blood spilling from a cut on above his left eye. The pain from his ribs suggested he had at least two cracked ribs, made a third.

He struggled to look up. "You…" He hissed weakly.

The second opponent's metal feet came clapping forward out of the darkness. It was the real Darth Maul this time. Not a hologram, not his brother but the real thing. Adas was in peril now. "Master Yoda, Anakin… did you?" Adas shot to his feet with the grim thought of his two comrades being dead. His chest blistered with pain, which was good because he'll need that pain to turn into anger. Anger fueled his power and it was his best chance for survival at the moment. The Jedi and Ahsoka wouldn't like it but he has no choice, just like the time when Maul invaded his mind just a few minutes before.

Maul grinned wickedly. "No, I played with them for a while but that got boring. You however might be more interesting. I thought Savage had the power to subdue you but," He sparred a glance over his shoulder to his apprentice as he tended to his wound. "I guess you were more than a match for him."

"I don't know what you want here but that doesn't matter." He ignited his lightsaber, the blade was still white and Adas hoped to catch Maul off guard with the intense power setting. "I'll end you and the nightmare of the Sith once and for all!"

Before Maul could so much as move his lips for a retort, Adas was within a foot of him. His white blades sliced horizontally and Maul dodged it by moving backwards with surprising agility. Again and again he struck, each time Maul sidestepped around the blade with ease. He was faster than him.

Adas growled and shifted to powerful strikes. Maul countered and brought out his worn lightsaber and used it to fend off Adas' overhead assault. The half man half machine used only one arm while Adas was forced to use two to match his strength. He was stronger than him.

"Enough." Maul caught the white blade and thrust a metal knee forward into Adas' already damaged torso. A mixture of saliva and blood leaked from his mouth as he hunched over from the devastating blow. With the Force Maul seized Adas by the throat again and pressed him up against the wall. Adas dropped his weapon and tried to call upon the Force to protect his neck and keep it in one piece.

"You are holding back. I sense great power within you and yet you don't use it." Maul scrutinized his captive closer. "Yes, you're hiding something from me. Power? A secret? It doesn't matter, I'll find out soon enough."

Taking a long slender knife from his belt, Maul held it close to Adas' forehead. "Your species is an incredible one. Every single member of it was born with natural Force-sensitivity that is greater than most others. The red skinned Sith built a dark empire that nearly toppled the Republic and its Jedi defenders thousands of years ago. Such power… it's a shame you all died out." Black blood from Adas' head wound fell onto the knife. "But somehow you managed to survive for all these years. How did you do it? Was it through sith alchemy? Are you immortal? What is your secret!" Maul screamed and placed a physical hand over Adas' throat while returning the knife to a sheath.

"Savage," Maul hissed. The other stood up, favoring his uninjured leg over the other.

"Yes my master?"

"Clear a path to the ship, kill the clones on the surface and prepare for takeoff."

Savage acknowledged and walked past his master to the nearest exit, the one Maul had used to sneak up on Adas.

The young Sith struggled against Maul's iron like grip and tried to free himself, but Maul's Force presence was overwhelming. "Now then little Sith, let's try to see what's in your mind again. And this time, I won't be holding back."

Savage sparred one last glance at Adas and wished he could've defeated him. He really was a worthy adversary. The hulking Zabrak opened the door and was immediately greeted by someone half his size. Savage almost didn't notice her which left him wide open to the young woman telekinetic wave. He hurtled across the room and smashed into the computer station.

Maul jerked his attention away from Adas' mind to discover a Jedi Padawan entering the room. "Who is this?"

"My friend," Adas took advantage of Maul's distractedness and shoved him hard with everything he had. The Sith master stumbled backwards, his feet tearing up the floor as he tried to resist the Force wave being poured against him.

Free of his grasp, Adas fell back to the floor on all fours and panted with his lungs happily accepting fresh air.

"Adas," Ahsoka gasped at the damaged state he was in. She kneeled next to him. "Are you alright,"

Adas did his best to hide the pain. "I'm fine. But why did you come here? You were supposed to stay on the surface."

With smirk she raised her right hand. "It's hard to ignore this, and it's impossible for me not to sense what you are going through. Let me share your pain, let me give you my power. Together we can stop these guys once and for all."

"Ahsoka, you shouldn't be–"

She sighed and slapped him on the back of the head. "Stop being so stubborn and take my hand already."

Adas looked up at her. Even when facing possible death she was as cool as the ice over Saleucami. On top of destroying the Sith teachings, he also swore to himself he'd protect Ahsoka from anything. It wasn't because if she died the bond between them would also kill him but because she rescued him from an eternity of imprisonment. If she was commanding him to stop being so stubborn then he is honor bound to obey.

"Just like we practiced then," Adas said with a weak grin.

Ahsoka smiled and their hands met. In an instant she took on half his pain and also passed over half her strength. The seal on her hand gave them a connection like no other. They could give and take parts of anything from each other. Pain, strength, power, knowledge, anything. Together they were stronger than they were apart.

Adas rose to his feet and regained his lightsaber. _Ready?_ He asked telepathically.

_Ready! _Ahsoka replied. They let go of each other and ignited their lightsabers. Two green blades and two blue appeared before Maul and his recovering apprentice.

"Intriguing," Maul's blood red blade hissed to life as he approached with a sinister smile. "Most intriguing,"

Adas was the first to jump forward. He caught Maul blade and held it in place as tightly as he could. Ahsoka leaped forward and jumped off Adas' shoulders to flip over and land behind the Sith Lord.

Instead of attacking the occupied master, Ahsoka went for the charging apprentice who was far from defeat despite a crippled leg. What Savage realized too late was that his slowness and bulky stature were getting in the way when dealing with the impossibly fast padawan. Her Ataru lightsaber form kept her constantly moving, performing acrobatic feats that Savage couldn't possibly match. Her lightsabers made contact with his armor on several occasions, leaving mark after mark on them. The armor saved him from the burns but the kinetic energy behind each hit was still leaving damage.

Ahsoka counted herself lucky. Hadn't Savage been injured in the first place she would've had a much harder time dealing with him. On top of that she was sharing Force energy from Adas which empowered her already lightning fast agility. Adas' shared pain held her back some but that didn't affect her too much. She had the upper hand and she had to make sure she kept it that way.

Adas and Maul were locked in a storm of blade movements that would make anyone who looked at it dizzy. Blue and red spun together with constant contact. Maul was furious not only by the sudden appearance of the padawan but also at the sudden change in his opponent. Adas was no longer delving into his anger for strength but rather relying on the bond between him and Ahsoka. Instead of fighting like a Sith, he was fighting like a Jedi. And it was working.

Maul employed every move he had but Adas countered and retaliated with even greater strength than before. They clashed again and again with Maul losing ground faster than he could gain it. It was impossible, it was unthinkable, it was infuriating. _He cannot lose! _Not with his goal close in hand.

"This ends now!" Maul roared like a rampaging rancor and used every ounce of dark side energy he could call upon. Forks of blue lightning ripped from his fingers and caught Adas in the left arm and side. The electricity rippled throughout his body and forced it to convulse and collapse. Maul then turned to Ahsoka and shot her in the back with the Sith lightning. She screamed and shrank down to the ground, her lightsabers rolling away from her hands.

Maul panted hard as his last attack left him drained and weakened. "Savage, hold him down."

The apprentice did as he was told. He took away Adas' lightsaber and placed a knee on his back, forcing him face first into the ground. Adas' has experienced Sith lightning before but nothing like this, Maul infused all his anger and hate into it. He was barely able to stay conscious while Ahsoka was out and showed no signs of movement. She wasn't dead, otherwise he would be too, but their bond is shrieking and growing weaker.

_Ahsoka…_ He called out. _Get up… You have to get up and run! Ahsoka!_ No reply came.

"You…" Maul pointed at Adas, his fingers still smocking. "You and her… a bond I can sense between the two of you. It makes you strong, stronger than anyone I've faced. Apart you are weak but together… you are a threat." He ignited his lightsaber and began a slow walk towards Ahsoka, each step smashing into the ground with intense anger. "I must eliminate all threats."

"No!" Adas pushed up but Savage shoved down, he was pinned good. "Take my life instead, she's nothing without me." That was a lie, Ahsoka was more than nothing. She was everything.

Maul ignored her and kept walking till he was stand over her. Adas could see half of Ahsoka's face with the other half buried in the ground. It was the first face he saw in thousands of years and the first smile he saw in even longer. He couldn't let Maul harm her again.

"If I tell you the secrets of immortality, will you let her go?" It was a desperate ploy as Adas knew nothing about the sealing ritual that has kept him alive in his tomb on Korriban for thousands of years. But he had to try something.

Maul looked at him and grinned. "An interesting proposition, one that most other Sith Lords would accept. But I on the other hand would rather see you suffer than live forever. Your thoughts betray you little Sith, I can sense you care about this pathetic little Jedi. Once I am done with her, you will be tortured until you tell me everything I want to know."

"Don't touch her!" Adas screamed, giving Savage a hard time at keeping him down.

With a wicked laugh Maul raised his head and proclaimed. "I am Darth Maul, the true master of the dark side! All who stand against me shall die!" He took his blade in both hands and brought it down.

Time nearly stopped for Adas. His heart pounded with intensity unlike anything he has ever felt before. It was like everything he had once cared for was being ripped away from him again, just like in the war millennia before. _He will not let that happen again, he will not give up, he will not let her die!_

Just as Maul was about to steal Ahsoka's life, Adas surrendered himself to the darkness locked away within him.

An explosion of dark side energy roared out of Adas' body in waves of blackness. Savage was instantly projected directly up into the ceiling and then across the room. Maul was thrown away as well, his blade narrowly missing Ahsoka's neck by just inches. Maul was carried away in the waves of blackness that shoved him into a wall and leaving a body shaped dent in it. He bit back the pain as he struggled to see what had happened, what had stopped him. What he saw made him shiver in fear.

The boy he had defeated was now something else entirely. Adas no longer stood before him, instead a beast enshrouded in a dark aura stood up. It was all black, it's mane of hair was the color of red blood and dropped down the length of its back, the eyes were a dim orange, like a pair of dying stars, and it's claws looked sharper than a vibro blade. The beast stood as a terrifying eight feet tall with a snout and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. It looked more like an Akk hound that stood upright instead of a young man. The black aura that made up its body gave off dark side energy unlike anything Maul has ever felt before. Past all of that darkness Maul could barely feel the presence of Adas who was within the beast but not in control. And if Adas' wasn't in control of this thing then who was?

"Who are you demon?" Maul hissed after he pried himself free of the wall.

The beast snarled. "Zhol kash dinorab…" The beast spoke in a tongue unknown to Maul. It sounded as if a hundred people spoke at once. The beast then raised its head and roared, shaking the entire base with its power. "Ja Sith'ari Adas!"…


End file.
